Avoid both very long andvery short paragraphs: the length should usually vary from150 to 860 words. Attend carefully to the unity and correctstructure of the paragraph.
His description of paragraphs from 150 to 350 words is interesting with respect to the amount of material that will fit on a 3x5" inch card during the note taking process.
Devices for note-taking. In taking notes of reading,use slips of paper the size of the standard library card(8 x 6 in.). For more extended notes and for typewrittennotes, the standard half-sheet (6% x 8% in.) is usually themost satisfactory sire. For special purposes still larger sheetsare sometimes essential. In any extended investi ation theuse of different colored sli s or different coloref inks forcertain classes of notes w i g often prove a convenient andtime-savin device. It is especially desirable, thus, to dis-tinguish bifliogra hical data from subject matter. Each slipshould contain onyy a single note. Put a topical heading atthe top of each slip of subject notes and a reference to thevolume and page of the authority quoted.
The transcription on this from .pdf via Hypothesis is dreadful! In particular for the card sizes. The actual text reads as:
- Devices for note-taking. In taking notes of reading, use slips of paper the size of the standard library card (3 x5 in.). For more extended notes and for typewritten notes, the standard half-sheet (5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.) is usually the most satisfactory size. For special purposes still larger sheets are sometimes essential. In any extended investigation the use of different colored slips or different colored inks for certain classes of notes will often prove a convenient and time-saving device. It is especially desirable, thus, to distinguish bibliographical data from subject matter. Each slip should contain only a single note. Put a topical heading at the top of each slip of subject notes and a reference to the volume and page of the authority quoted.
The use o f t h ediphthong is becoming rare.
Interesting that he notices this and explicitly calls it out in a handbook on writing.
Dutcher, George Matthew. “Directions and Suggestions for the Writing of Essays or Theses in History.” Historical Outlook 22, no. 7 (November 1, 1931): 329–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/21552983.1931.10114595
Useful suggestions in regard tonote-taking will be found in Samuel S . Seward, Note-taking,Boston, 1910; and, especially for more advanced students, inEarle W. DOW, Principles of a note-system for hirton’calstudies, New York, 1924
He's read Langlois/Seignobos and Bernheim, but doesn't recommend/reference them for note taking, but points to Seward and Dow instead.
What are the differences between the four methods?
Note that this advice is in 1931, a few years after Beatrice Webb's My Apprentice which has a section on note taking that prefers the first two without mention of the latter two.
It would appear that Seward is the brother of William Henry Seward. see: https://hypothes.is/a/MwspfCBOEe2YCpesAgwiGQ
The instructor may require the submission of the notesas an evidence of pro ress before the writing of the essayis begun, or he may as! for their presentation with the com-pleted essay.
It's nice to have some evidence of progress, but I know very few students who appreciated this sort of grading practice. I know I hated it as a kid, so it's particularly pernicious and almost triggering to see it in print going back to 1908, 1911, and subsequently up to 1931.
These Directions and suggestions were first cornpiled in1908, and the first edition was printed in 1911 for use in theauthor‘s own classes. The present edition is the result ofthorough revision and is planned for general use.
This will be much more interesting given that he'd first written about this topic in 1908 and has accumulated more experience since then.
Look for suggestions about the potential change in practice over the ensuing years.
Is the original version extant in his papers?
Mere paraphrasing the work of an-other is as offensive as direct copying. The discovery of ma-terials, the research, the oqanization of the material, theplan of treatment, and the literary composition should eachbe strictly the independent work of the student. H e shouldlearn not merely to collect facts on paper but also to as-similate them in his own mind 4then express them interms of his own thinking, while adhering to strict accuracyin the statement of facts.
The two corresponding dates should be given in case ofOld Style and New Style; of French Revolutionary andGregorian calendars; of Mohammedan and Christian eras;etc. Aid in dealing with these problcms may be convenientlyobtained from John J. Bond, ZIandy book of rules and tablesfor verifying dates rhth the Christian era, 4th cd., London,1889. and other treatises on chronology.
This looks like a fascinating reference. Are there newer ones?
In Italian,however, note the different practice: quattrocento, for es-ample, means the century from 1 January 1400 to 31 Decem-ber 1499.
from primarysources rather than from secondary works. Always give, inn footnote, the exact citation of volume and page of the au-thority quoted. Verify quotations carefully in every detail.A quotation should never be wrenched from its context insuch a way a5 to d o violence or injustice to the views of itswriter.
Forms w e d in footnote citations. The following formsare in standard use in footnote citations: id. (idem, thesame), meaning by the same author as the book last cited;ibid. (ibidem, in the same place), meaning in the same bookas the one last cited; op. cit. (opere citato, in the workcited), meaning in the author’s work cited in an earlier, butnot immediately preceding, footnote in the same chapter; Zoc.cit. (loco citato, in the place cited), meaning the author’sarticle in the periodical or review previously cited in thesame chapter; cf. (confer, compare), meaning compare thestatement in the text with the one cited in the footnote eon-cerned; supra (above) and infra (below) or ante (before)and post (after), used to cite passages earlier or later inthe book or article itself; passim (scattered), sometimesused instead of exact citations when references to the sub-ject are scattered freely through a work; et seq. ( a t sequen-tee, and following), meaning on the several successive pagesfollowing the one cited, but the English abbreviation, ff.(following) is more commonly used instead. In the last twocases, however, it is preferable to give the exact page cita-tions instead of the vague reference.
a nice little collections of notations used in footnotes in the early 20th century.
Not all of these are seen or commonly used now.
in biblical citations, instead of Luke, chap. XV, ver.19, write Luke 16:19
Is this an indication of the shift of biblical quotations into what is now modern form?
The bibliography should be placed nextafter the ta&e of contents, because the instructor alwayswishes to examine it before reading the text of the essay.
Surprising! particularly since they traditionally come at the end.
Though for teaching purposes, I can definitely see a professor wanting it up front. I also frequently skim through bibliographies before starting reading works now, though I didn't do this in the past. Reading a bibliography first is an excellent way to establish common context with an author however.
(see paragraph 28)
an example within this essay of a cross reference from one note to another showing the potential linkages of individual notes within one's own slipbox.
Do not depend on the typistfor any service or assistance except actual copying.
the amanuensis has evolved into a typist.
A subtle admonishment here to "do your own work".
In academic settings, depending on level, the amanuensis may do more than just type or transcribe. For students, it should just be transcription, but for others, the level of input is highly likely to increase...
Mechanical form.Use standard size (8t/,xll in.) type-writer pa er or the essay paper in standard use a t the in-stitution. %or typing, use an unruled bond paper of goodquality, such as “Paragon Linen” or “Old Hampshire Mills.”At the left of the page leave a margin of 1% to l’/e inches;and a t the top, bottom, and right of the page, a margin of1 inch. Write only on one side of the paper. In ty in thelines should be double-spaced. Each chapter shouyd feginon a new page. Theses for honors and degrees must be typed;other essays may be typed or legibly written in ink. Whetherthe essay is typed or written, the use of black ink is prefer-able. The original typewritten copy must be presented. Incase two copies of a thesis are required, the second copymust be the first carbon and must be on the same quality ofpaper as the original.
Definitely a paragraph aimed at the student in the manner of a syllabus, but also an interesting tidbit on the potential evolution of writing forms over time.
How does language over time change with respect to the types and styles of writing forms, particularly when they're prescribed or generally standardized over time? How do these same standards evolve over time and change things at the level of the larger pictures?
The better students tend to exceed the indicated maximums.
of course this also depends on the overall quality of the work and not just the length...
The special considerations which enter into the determina-tlon of the credibility of historical statements are discussed,with considerable fullness, in Hereford B. George, Histori-aal evidence, Oxford, 1909; Allen Johnson, Hhtorian andhistorical evidence, New York, 1926; and Charles G. Crump,Hwtory and historical reeearch, London, 1928. The studentwill receive some aid in handltng the roblems of conflictingauthorities by using Frederic Doncalf and August C. Krey,Parallel source p r o b l e m in medieval history, New York andLondon, 1912 [Harper‘s parallel aource problems], or one ofthe other volumes in the same series.
These look fascinating, but alas for another day.
Mr. York Powell, lateregius professor of modern histor a t Oxford, said: “Theformation and expression of ethicarjudgments . . . is nota thing within the historian’s province.”
Zn&tence on good style. Reasonable care in follow-ing these suggestions with regard to style is essential tothe production of an acceptable essay, and neglect of themwill affect unfavorably the grade to be assigned.
Sadly, he doesn't define "good style" here and only a paragraph after saying to avoid the style of Carlyle and Macaulay.
This paragraph is one of the several of the type that would more appropriately appear in a syllabus than in a published journal article on this particular topic. Thus the style is here is part journal article on writing, but also format which could be subsumed into syllabi by others.
Imitation t o be avoided. Avoid the mannerisms andpersonal peculiarities of method or style of well-knownwriters, such as Carlyle or Macaulay.
Enough time has passed that these references are lost to me.
Were they so highly imitated at the time that they required a caution? (After almost no time lost on search, the answer is a resounding yes, particularly for Carlyle)
These are references to Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) and Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859).
The use ofhyphens in compound words is becoming less frequent exceptwhen essential for clarity of meaning. The customary prac-tice is to write such words as coordinate with the dieresisrather than the hyphen.
One can't help but notice that Dutcher's essay, laid out like it is in a numbered fashion with one or two paragraphs each may stem from the fact of his using his own note taking method.
Each section seems to have it's own headword followed by pre-written notes in much the same way he indicates one should take notes in part 18.
It could be illustrative to count the number of paragraphs in each numbered section. Skimming, most are just a paragraph or two at most while a few do go as high as 5 or 6 though these are rarer. A preponderance of shorter one or two paragraphs that fill a single 3x5" card would tend to more directly support the claim. Though it is also the case that one could have multiple attached cards on a single idea. In Dutcher's case it's possible that these were paperclipped or stapled together (does he mention using one side of the slip only, which is somewhat common in this area of literature on note making?). It seems reasonably obvious that he's not doing more complex numbering or ordering the way Luhmann did, but he does seem to be actively using it to create and guide his output directly in a way (and even publishing it as such) that supports his method.
Is this then evidence for his own practice? He does actively mention in several places links to section numbers where he also cross references ideas in one card to ideas in another, thereby creating a network of related ideas even within the subject heading of his overall essay title.
Here it would be very valuable to see his note collection directly or be able to compare this 1927 version to an earlier 1908 version which he mentions.
Perspectiae and continuity. Correct perspective is es-sential t o sound critical malysis and interpretation. Thehistorical writer must always keep the time element clearlyin mind, and must recognize that an estimate of any histori-cal ersonage or event is determined in no small measureby t1e time or the conditions under which the person livedor the event occurred
James 11.Hanford, Malcolm McLeod, and E d g a r C. Knowlton, TheNelaon handbook of English, New York, 1931.
I can't help but wonder about a possible familial connection between Edgard C. Knowlton (1921 - 2016) and Charles Knowlton (1800 - 1850). Grandson perhaps?
http://worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n85319810/
cc: @danallosso
Irony is a dangerous literary device which should beused only with the greatest caution.
The editors of the American historical re-vim suggest t o their reviewers that they should write “witlia scientific rather than a literary intention, and with definite-ness and precision in both praise and dispraise. I t is desiredthat the review of tlie book will be such as will convey t o thereader a clear and comprehensive notion of its nature, ofits contents, of its merits, of its place in the literature ofthe subject, and of the amount of its positive contributionto knowledge.
A tentative oiitline should be prepared as soonas ossible after beginning reading on the subject and modi-f i e f a s the progress of the work requires.
n composition d o not be a slave tothe notes and books: they only furnish the materials fromwhich the essay is t o be constructed.
the slips by the topicalheadings. Guide cards are useful to gdicate the several head-ings and subheadings. Under each heading classif the slipsin writing, discarding any that may not prove useful andmaking cross references for notes which may be needed foruse in more than one lace. This classification will reveal,almost automatically, wiere there are deficiencies in the ma-terials collected which should be remedied. The completedand classified collection of notes then becomes the basis ofcomposition.
missing some textual context here for full quote...
Dutcher is recommending arranging notes and cards by topical headings in a commonplace sort of method. He does recommend a sub-arrangement of placing them in logical order for one's writing however. He goes even further and indicates one may "make cross references for notes which may be needed for use in more than one place." Which provides an early indication of linking or cross linking cards to multiple places within in one's card index. (Has this cross referencing (linking) idea appeared in the literature specifically before, or is this an early instantiation of this idea?)
Symbols might conveniently have been used for woids ofsuch frequent occurrence as: for, in, of, with, as, to, the,bill, statute, footnote.
works inEnglish are convenient introductions to the prohems andmethods of historical research: Charles V. Langlois andCharles Seignobos, Introduction to the rludy of history, NewYork, 1898; John M. Vincent, Historical research, an outlineof theory and practice, New York, 1911; and, to a morelimited extent, Fred M. Fling, Writing of history, an intro-duction to historical method, New Haven, 1920. The studentwho is specializing in history should early familiarize him-self with these volumes and then acquaint himself with otherworks in the field, notably Ernst Bernheim, hehrbuch derhistorwehen Methode und der Beschichtsplrilosophie, 6th ed.,Leipzig, 1908
I'm curious, what, if any, detail Fling (1920) and Vincent (1911) provide on note taking processes?
While it is a fundamental principle that workscontemporary with an event are presumably more authenticthan later ones, it should be borne in mind that the morerecent secondary works are frequently based on more ma-terials and present new interpretations.
A studentshould learn not to be alarmed by conflicting evidence, con-troversial views, and the mass of detailed information. H eshould rather seek to learn how to deal with them.
111. RESEARC
Dutcher suggest that there are three "purposes in reading": information, thought, and style.
This pamphlet of direc-tions is not a medical prescri tion to he taken in a singledose: the result might be fataf
Ifthe instructor finds that some of the suggestions seem to beintended for him rather than for the student, the compilerhopes that he may be shriven for relying on his long ex-perience to be so impertinent as to offer the benefit of hisobservations