Research in practice

Semester 4

Dorian Jullien — Aurélien Goutsmedt

The objectives of the seminar are:

  1. To introduce students to the different research approaches used in the most recent publications in economic history and philosophy. This includes, among others, an introduction to the following methods
    • textual, contextual and meta-textual analysis of published sources
    • research, processing and analysis of archival sources;
    • the collection and analysis of oral sources (interviews, witness seminars)
    • the use of quantitative techniques (bibliometrics, network analysis, text-mining) to process large corpora.

  2. Read and discuss recent research publications, presented by their authors. The seminar is therefore designed to promote direct contact between students and the research world. To this end, the seminar program relies on the researchers in the network of the research team attached to the Master’s degree.

  3. Examine examples of the application of these methods to different historical objects and questions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following general themes:
    • the filiation of ideas and practices in economics (legacy, influence) ;
    • the appreciation of turning points and transformations of ideas and practices in economics (originality, “revolutions”);
    • the analysis of debates and controversies;
    • the link and reciprocal influence between economics and expertise.

At the end of the seminar, students will be able to:

  1. identify, compare and critically discuss these approaches and their applications. The course relies on a diversity of speakers (diversity of their research objects and methods) with the explicit aim of exposing students to this pluralism;

  2. to apply (in a relevant and critical way) at least one of these historiographical methods to one’s own research object (M2 thesis). The seminar provides opportunities for discussion between the various speakers and the students, in order to share tools and advice useful to the completion of the research paper.

  • Teacher(s):
    • Researcher of the Rehpere network
    • Invited researchers
  • Pratical information: S4, 18h, Maison des Sciences Économiques.

Syllabus