Prof Patrick Wallis SAR 5.11

Prof Eric Schneider SAR 5.18

This course is compulsory on the BSc in Economic History, BSc in Economic History and Geography, BSc in Economic History with Economics, BSc in Economics and Economic History and BSc in Economics with Economic History. This course is not available as an outside option nor to General Course students.

This course teaches students how to conduct, evaluate and interpret research in economic history. Taking a practical, applied approach, students will design and conduct three research projects drawing heavily upon the archival material available in the LSE Archives and Library. The course also introduces students to critical interpretation and analysis of primary sources and research methodologies. By the end of the course, students will have a good understanding of research design, historical sources and methods, which will leave them well-prepared for their dissertation in their final year. In addition, they will have a non-technical understanding of more complex quantitative methods such as regression so that they can engage critically with current scholarship in economic history.

This course is delivered through a combination of classes, workshops and lectures totalling a minimum of 40 hours across Autum and Winter Term. 

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.

Students are expected to write one formative essay and complete other shorter formative coursework for the course.

L Jordanova, History in Practice (2000),

CH Feinstein and M Thomas, Making History Count (2002),

P Hudson, History by Numbers (2000), 

S Cunningham, Causal Interference: The Mixtape (2021),

EB Schneider, Collider Bias in Economic History Research, Explorations in Economic History (2020)

Project (25%, 4000 words) in the AT.
Project (50%, 3000 words) in the ST.
In-class assessment (15%) in the WT.
Class participation (10%) in the AT and WT.

Assessment comprises a group project (25%, 4000 words) in the AT; an individual project (50%, 3000 words) due in ST; a summative in-class exercise (15%) in the WT; and 10% for participation and submission of formative work.