Records and Evidence examines the ways in which evidence is deployed in support of discourses across the humanities, how it is validated and what assumptions are made in its synthesis. It will review the way evidence is treated from a variety of theoretical perspectives.

10 x 1 hour lectures and 10 x 1 hour workshops over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

None

None

40% Presentation (10 minutes)

60% Essay 2500 words

Alternative assessment is available for the presentation.

This course aims to:

■ Explore professional principles and concepts in order to provide a sound foundation from which to begin professional practice.

■ Evaluate the ways in which people from different disciplines use records as evidence.

■ Review the similarities and differences in approaches that can be used to inform the records professional.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Deconstruct what constitutes a 'record', and how records can be used as evidence in order to build arguments;

2. Identify the difference between primary and secondary sources, and articulate how one is developed from the other;

3. Critique the process behind the privileging or appraisal of different record types, and question how what survives can be used as evidence to influence discourse; 

4. Assess how evidence is represented in various formats; including, for example, record authentication and legal admissibility of certain types of record;

5. Demonstrate the theoretical concerns about the nature of evidence in the humanities.