Undergraduate Handbooks - General Appendices

Under the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations, 16.6 and 16.8, work submitted either late or exceeding the word-limits prescribed may attract academic penalties.

a. Late Work: for work submitted late without Proctorial sanction, the Board has adopted the following tariff:

b. Over-length Work: the Board has adopted the following tariff:

c. Short-weight Work: there are no formal penalties for this, and candidates are reminded that the word-limits are not a target, but a maximum. However, theses and essays which are significantly shorter than the maximum are likely to be inadequate in their coverage and content, and will be so marked. As a rough guideline, less than three-quarters of the maximum is likely to be inadequate (9,000 words for theses, 4,500 for essays).

These penalties are imposed by the Board as a whole, not by markers; and consideration is given to their effect on each candidate’s overall classification.

If too few questions are attempted in a script, the maximum mark achievable should be lowered by the proportion of the paper missing. This rule applies where no attempt has been made to answer a question. Where some attempt has been made, examiners should mark what is there.

Where a candidate has failed to answer a compulsory question or failed to answer the required number of questions in different sections, markers mark as if the candidate had complied, but flag the script. All such cases are scrutinised by the Board so that appropriate and consistent penalties are applied.

It is usual for History and Modern Languages students to take the ‘Foreign Text’ paper in the appropriate language at Prelims. All the ‘Foreign Texts’ papers make use of ‘gobbets’. Gobbets have long been a feature of Oxford history examinations (and most students will come across them again at Finals), but as they may be an unfamiliar form of assessment to first year students, we offer this initial advice on how to approach them.

A gobbet is a small chunk taken from a set text, sometimes not even a full sentence, which is presented to students for comment. In the Foreign Text papers, question 1 consists of several gobbets and candidates are allowed to choose the four that they wish to tackle. This compulsory question is worth one third of the paper as a whole, which implies that a single gobbet answer should be roughly equivalent in length to a quarter of an essay.

Gobbets are presented unadorned: the exam paper will not usually provide information concerning the location of these sentences in the set text, nor will it offer steering comments about how to interpret them. It follows that, as no specific question has been asked, no specific answer is sought. However, ideally candidates will be able to identify where the gobbet comes from within the set text, and know what comes immediately before and after.

The crucial point to grasp about gobbets is that they require a very close reading of the set text. Although candidates should be in a position to explain how this gobbet relates to the text as a whole, examiners will be expecting answers that focus on the specific sentences, sometimes even the specific words, which have been presented. A common mistake made in Prelim exams is for candidates to immediately move from the specific to the general, and offer brief summaries of the set authors’ overall arguments in relation to the theme of the gobbet. But gobbets are not invitations to write mini-essays; rather they require the skills of the critic and forensic literary investigator.

Some of the questions that candidates might ask themselves when confronted with a gobbet include: what is the precise meaning of this piece of text? What is the significance of the terminology used? How does the particular point made in the gobbet relate to the author’s arguments? How is the point made convincing? What do the rhetorical and stylistic elements contribute? What evidential support does the author produce, and is it well-handled? Who is the author addressing at this precise point, and why? What impact did the text have in its own time? Have the author’s arguments been sustained by subsequent historiography?

Obviously it would be impossible to answer all these questions in relation to every single gobbet. Candidates are perfectly free to tackle different gobbets in different ways: for example in response to one gobbet they might concentrate on why the author is making this specific point within the text, while in response to another emphasise the rhetorical techniques employed. Candidates will not be penalized for taking varied approaches. But in every case the comment should relate closely to some aspect of the specific text provided: the more general and unrelated the answer the less likely it is to satisfy.

APPROACHES TO WRITING GOBBETS

One of the two papers by which the Special Subject is examined requires the candidates to write a series of commentaries on short extracts from the prescribed sources. A few students will have confronted textual extracts requiring explanation and commentary as an element in the ‘Foreign Texts’ papers in the Preliminary Examination. But for most history undergraduates the first encounter with this style of examination will be the ‘gobbet paper’ of the Special Subject.

The most obvious point to bear in mind is that a gobbet is not a mini-essay: an extract from a letter between British ministers concerning foreign policy in 1914 should not be taken as an invitation to discuss the larger issues of whether or not Britain should have participated in WW1. Not only will it be judged irrelevant by the examiners, but an over-broad discussion will inevitably require more time for writing than you have available. For the second point about gobbet papers is that the majority require commentaries to be written on twelve extracts. This means a maximum of fifteen minutes per extract, which, for most students, will allow no more than one side, at most one-and-a-half sides, of writing. If you spend twenty minutes on each extract you will end up with nine rather than twelve gobbets at the end of three hours, and short-weight document papers in which entire answers are missing will pull the overall mark down particularly seriously.

The writing of gobbets involves meeting a number of distinct but overlapping requirements.

1. Immediate context. You should demonstrate familiarity with the document or source from which the extract is drawn. In the case of an image this will involve demonstrating knowledge either of the image itself (a picture, architectural detail or medal), or the larger object (building or painting) from which the image may be a detail.
   • The exam paper will frequently give you the basic information about the provenance of the extract (‘letter from Paget to Queen Mary, 1 November 1554’; ‘prospect of Hatfield House’) so reiterating this in your answer will not impress. You should aim to locate the extract or image by demonstrating that you know about the general content of the letter, document or object. You should show with reasonable precision where the specific passage falls within the letter or document, or – if appropriate – how the given image relates to the wider object: which façade of Hatfield House is shown? How does the depicted figure relate to the rest of the painting? It certainly isn’t necessary to quote verbatim other sections from the document: knowledge of content is more important than demonstrating photographic memory.
   • Beyond this specific identification, is the extract representative of the wider document/image, or does it reveal something which is subsidiary to or distinctive from the rest of the text?
   • In some cases it may be necessary to explain particular words or names within an extract to show that you understand either their technical meaning (‘tithe’; ‘Free Churches’) or their meaning in this specific context (‘Sanhedrin’ used in mid-17th England). This is especially the case if the extract is in a foreign language and a particular phrase or word is unusual or potentially ambiguous. It is however unnecessary and a waste of time simply to describe what is said or depicted in the extract or the image in your own words: ‘In this extract William, Lord Paget is telling Queen Mary that…’, etc.
   • It may also be necessary to explain (briefly) any unusual institutional references either in the text or involved in the authorship. No one would expect you to explain what the House of Commons was, but a document addressed to the Council of the North or written from the Court of Augmentations would be a different matter.
2. Clarification of the extract. There are numerous types of document (or images) contained in collections of Special Subject sources, and these will have been written (or depicted) in different styles and will have different purposes and audiences in mind. It is important to identify the type of document from which the extract is taken, and this will raise questions about the intentions of the author(s), the nature of the intended audience, and the relationship of the author to an understanding of any particular bias or argument in the extract.
   • Formal legislation and constitutional documents are intended for publication or permanent record, usually a deliberate statement of the outward intentions of an authority and intended for public dissemination. Obvious questions concern the context in which the legislation was promulgated: if the document appears to represent a clear response to a perceived problem, was this reflected in discussion surrounding its formulation? Were there previous drafts of the legislation or earlier attempts to resolve the same issues? Did/could the legislation have the effects intended and if not, why?
   • Extracts from speeches or debates. How, and by who were they recorded? Verbatim or retrospectively? For publication or for private audience (e.g. transcribed for a third party not present at the time)? It may be desirable here, and for other types of extracts listed below, to give brief biographical details of the speaker cited, or the person (if known) who recorded the speech/debate. But it’s important to sketch in these details with a light touch. A gobbet does not require a life history of the protagonist, but it may be important to know whether the extract confirms his/her attitudes and whether the insight demonstrated is consistent with what we know of that individual’s previous involvement with the issue. In the case of speeches or debates, is the style of the extract (strident, confrontational, reasonable…) what we would expect from our previous knowledge of the protagonist? If, as in many cases with speeches (and sometimes with letters), the style is highly rhetorical, does this go beyond what we would expect in the context, or is this normal by the standards of such contemporary writing?
   • Extracts from letters usually require consideration of both the correspondent and the recipient. Do we know about their previous relationship – are they close friends, colleagues/political allies or enemies? Does the style reinforce either intimacy or formality? Does anything in the biography of the author or recipient, or previous contact between the two, contribute to our understanding of the extract? (e.g. in appreciating a level of bias or partisanship in the account.)
   • Extracts from diaries and memoirs. Are these genuinely private accounts of events, or intended for wider dissemination? If the latter, are they written to conceal, rather than elucidate, the real issues? Was the extract written at the time or years later? Did the author have a purpose in writing this account – e.g. to present a picture of decisive action when other evidence suggested that the protagonist was indecisive or evasive at the time?
   • Images of paintings, sculptures and buildings. At what point was the image made, by whom and for whom? It is important to establish whether the image (a sketch, formal drawing or an engraving, for example) is an early draft or plan by the author of the finished object, whether it was a proposal or plan by another person subsequently adapted or borrowed by the author, or indeed whether the image corresponds to an actual object at all. An early sketch or plan may have been substantially modified on the wishes of the patron or by the changing perceptions/aims of the artist. A present-day image of the object will raise questions about later changes from the original.
   • Depictions of coins, medals or inscriptions. Were they minted/written at the time of the events which they depict, and/or by the persons or institutions they celebrate? Are they forgeries, and if so, why were they produced?
3. Broader Context of the Extract. The two obvious concerns here are cross-referencing to other sources, and the extent to which the particular passage or image can tell us about certain themes of wider interest in the period.
   • Cross-referencing may be to other extracts which you have already discussed in the same paper, or, more usually, to other prescribed documents. Examiners of the gobbet paper are looking for evidence of a comprehensive knowledge of the set texts, and for sensitivity to different accounts and approaches to the same historical issue or event. Without feeling obliged to provide extensive quotations, the ability to demonstrate familiarity with other writings by the same author, to cite other accounts of the same issue which may confirm or contradict this account, other examples of a similar style, or other documents which develop and elaborate upon the theme or the event, are all important in persuading an examiner to award high marks for a gobbet.
   • Reference to Wider themes, while avoiding the dangers of writing a mini-essay, is strongly desirable. In the case of images of buildings, paintings, sculptures, medals or inscriptions it is obviously desirable to discuss the purposes for which they were commissioned or created, what, if anything they were replacing, and whether they fit into a wider pattern of patronage and construction. In the case of documents (and indeed many images) it’s worth bearing in mind that examiners are likely to have chosen a particular extract for a purpose, and frequently to illustrate the kind of themes that may have been discussed in classes or essays. An extract may have a specific context, but may also say something important about a larger theme, whether this is social mobility, power in the localities, the influence of patrons on works of art, or factional struggle within totalitarian regimes. You should certainly show that you recognize the relevance of the extract to these themes.

In General:

Do bear in mind that you are working against the clock, and that concision is essential. Try to start the gobbet punchily, and get to the point quickly without wasting time on extraneous introductory paragraphs.

Do be specific at all times – authorship, importance of date, and significance of style and content. Uncertainty about the rest of the document from which the extract is taken or about historical context emerge with brutal clarity in gobbets. If you don’t know where the extract came from, you shouldn’t attempt to discuss it. There is no getting round the fact that the best route to writing gobbets is to know the prescribed texts very well indeed.

Do have a clearly organized set of points arising from and illuminating the gobbet. You should aim to show the examiner that you know why the given extract was important enough to feature in the exam paper. There is no mechanical formula or sequence which should be observed in discussing the extract’s specific location in the broader document, the issues arising from style, content and authorship, and/or wider issues raised by the extract.

Do try to conclude the gobbet with a forceful point – whether about the wider relevance of the extract, similarities/differences with respect to other accounts of the same event, or something that it reveals about the character or motivation of the author.

Don’t waste time summarizing the previous points in a concluding paragraph; you should be focusing on the next extract.

The synopsis is intended to clarify for the Chair of Examiners the field of your dissertation, the questions it will address, and the methods and sources it will use to do this; it will also thereby help you crystallize your thoughts well in advance of Hilary Term. As the synopsis may not be longer than 250 words, it must be succinct, and focused on these essentials; and it must therefore have been properly thought-through, rather than offering general preliminary ideas as to a possible field of exploration.

1. The synopsis should locate the area of study in which the thesis falls, in terms of both themes and location in time and space; e.g. ‘gender aspects of early modern witchcraft’ or ‘the role of technology in modern warfare’.
2. It should then define precisely the problem or problems which the thesis will seek to address. This may arise from discussion of the sources, or of the historiography, or both; but whatever the case, the thesis must be directed towards discussion of a clearly-defined problem. It is not enough to indicate the general field in which exploration will take place.
3. Often the problem will be defined by reference to existing historiography: either the issue will not have been addressed (or not adequately so) by current writing on the subject, in which case it should be made clear exactly what has and has not been done; or, the thesis will address an argument which has been put forward but which needs further testing or indeed challenging. Either way, the historiographical context needs to be spelt out clearly.
4. The synopsis must then identify the sources which will be used to address the problem, and thus also the precise area of study in terms of time and place (which may have been explained under 2). The methods by which these sources will help address the problem should also be explained as precisely as possible.
5. The title should describe the field of the thesis as precisely but also as succinctly as possible. It has not been customary for thesis titles to be framed as questions.

In practice thesis-topics are refined in the process of research, as the sources themselves suggest new questions, and thinking about problems leads one to look at new sources. (And students commonly only fulfill a part of the agenda they had originally set themselves.) Note that the completed thesis is not judged against the submitted synopsis.

It is nevertheless important for the Examiners to have a clear idea of what you are planning at this stage, so that they can identify suitable examiners in advance of submission; changes of topic are rarely so radical as to require different examiners. Moreover, you need to start research with a topic which has been as clearly defined and thought-through as it can be, so as to be sure that your topic is viable and will not fall apart in Hilary Term once you begin to probe it properly.

The Faculty of History uses the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment to provide students with specific information about the papers they will take over the course of their degree.

Through the Canvas Dashboard, you are able to access the programme pages for the BA in History as well as any Joint Schools in which you are enrolled. These pages provide links to each of the papers on offer in each year of the degree, where you will be able to access:

• Course descriptions
• Reading lists
• Specimen papers
• Lecture handouts
• Past papers

Through the main course pages, you can also access:

• Lecture recordings (see Panopto Recordings below)
• Special case forms for Further and Special Subjects
• Induction materials
• Additional guidance, advice, and information

Accessing Canvas

• Go to www.canvas.ox.ac.uk (please use Google Chrome or Firefox for the best experience)
• Select ‘Oxford Users’ and enter your Single Sign-On details.
• You can also find your Canvas course on the History website: https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/information-about-your-course

How to navigate Canvas

Your dashboard when you log into Canvas will show the programme and papers in which you are enrolled. When you first log in, this will only show your programme.

Your programme page will start with a link to the lecture list, information on period/geographical requirements and a link to the Oxford Historians Hub.

As you scroll down the page you will see information about Prelims (a link to the handbook, links to further information about paper options, examination and assessment information and feedback) and FHS (again with a link to the handbooks, links to further information about paper options, examination and assessment information and feedback).

At the end of the page you will find a section called ‘Can’t find what you’re looking for?’ which will help you to find specific bits of information that you might have struggled to find.

Help using Canvas

You will find Canvas easy and intuitive to use, so extensive training isn’t required. We have prepared a number of resources to help you get up and running. These include:

• Oxford University Canvas videos: we have created a number of quick start videos on YouTube which you can view at any time. Please subscribe to the channel so we can let you know when new videos are uploaded. Search ‘canvas at oxford’ in YouTube or click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ2_OrSvhKSoJcZtvMvR3Ow
• Student Guide to using Canvas at Oxford: once you have logged into Canvas using your University Single Sign-On (SSO) details, go to ‘Help’ on your home page menu and click on Oxford Guidance (Students). Please use either Chrome or Firefox to access Canvas, or Safari on an iOS device.

Please note: if you have any course-related queries please contact the Teaching Officer, Dr. Callum Kelly (undergraduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk)

PS: We strongly recommend you download the student app for Canvas to access your courses on the go! Go to the Google Play or Apple App Store and search for ‘Canvas student app’.

In the 2022-23 Academic Year, all lectures in the Faculty of History will be recorded and made available using the Replay Lecture Capture service, powered by Panopto. You can access lecture recordings via Canvas.

Accessing Lecture Recordings

1. Select 'Faculty of History - Lecture Recordings' on your Canvas Dashboard
2. In the left-hand sidebar, select 'Panopto Recordings'.
   • If you cannot see the sidebar, you may need to expand it - to do so, click the three horizontal lines next to the page title.
3. Use the folders to navigate to the lecture recording you would like to access.
4. Click on the title or thumbnail of a recording to begin watching.

Lecture Recording Access

Lecture recordings will be made available via Panopto shortly after they have been recorded.

During the Long Vacation, the recordings made in each year will be archived in preparation for the new academic year. There may be a short period of downtime while the lectures are archived.

All students will have access to the current year's lecture recordings. They will also have access to the archive of recordings for each year they have attended. These archives will be made available on the Canvas Dashboard.

Please Note: While the Faculty intends to keep as complete an archive as possible, it may not always be possible to keep all lectures on file. This is often the case where lecturers have left the University, or have otherwise requested that lectures are removed from Canvas.

Accessibility

All recorded lectures have automatic captioning which can be activated by selecting the 'CC' button in the Panopto viewer. Accurate Captioning may be provided by the Disability Advisory Service where required for a Student Support Plan.

The Oxford Historians Hub (OHH) is the main site of information about the degree programmes offered by the Faculty of History. Through the OHH you are able to access:

• The termly Lecture List
• Course handbooks
• Induction information
• Information on prizes and awards
• Advice on welfare and representation
• Information about forthcoming events in the Faculty
• Details of workshops and career/volunteering opportunities

Please Note: Some sections of the OHH are secured behind Single Sign-On. You will need to enter your SSO details in order to access these sections, which are marked with a padlock.