The Research Division

 

The Research Division works to help promote historical scholarship, preserve historical documents and artifacts, ensure equal and open access to information, and fosters the dissemination of information about historical records and research.

The Division oversees:

  • The establishment of priorities for the Association's encouragement and support of research and the development and use of new and promising tools of research.

  • The history profession's relationship with archivists and librarians, repositories and archives, and various agencies of government on matters pertaining to scholarly research. The Division works closely in these matters with the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History.

  • The American Historical Review, including the five-year evaluation of the editor.

  • The Association's research grants and fellowship programs.

  • All AHA book prizes.

  • The AHA Annual Meeting, especially the Program Committee Guidelines.

  • General oversight for all other AHA publications.

 

2012 Officers:

    Vice President

    • John R. McNeill (Georgetown Univ.)

    Division members

    • Thomas J. Sugrue (Univ. of Pennsylvania)
    • Martha Howell (Columbia Univ.)
    • Stephen Aron, (UCLA and Autry National Center)

    Staff

    • Robert B. Townsend, Assistant Director

 

General Documents and Reports

Supporting Scholars Early in Their Careers: What the AHA Can do To Nurture New History PhDs (May 2008)

"Sites of Encounters and Cultural Production": An AHA Initiative for an Action Thématique (December 2007)

New Modes for the Next Meeting: RD Calls for Comments (September 2005)

Statement on Peer Review (June 2005)

Should Historical Scholarship Be Free? (April 2005)

Should the AHA Annual Meeting Be Changed? AHA Members and Council Say "Yes!" (September 2004)

Should the Format of the Annual Meeting Be Changed? (September 2003)

History and the Future of Scholarly Publishing (September 2003)

“Best Practices”: Encouraging Research Excellence in Postsecondary History Education (October 2000)

 

Oral History and Institutional Review Boards

As a statement of best practices in oral history research, the Research Division and AHA Council endorse the Oral History Association's Evaluation Guidelinesand strongly encourage historians using these methods to follow them.

Past Reports:

Sizeable Response on Review Board Issue (February 11, 2008)

AHA Asks for Oral History Exclusion (December 27, 2007)

The Feds and IRBs: Your Opportunity to Weigh in (November 06, 2007)

Debating the Need for IRBs – A Chronicle Colloquy (November 9, 2006)

The Problem with IRBs (October 12, 2006)

Oral History and Review Boards: Little Gain and More Pain (January 2006)

Oral History and IRBs: Caution Urged as Rule Interpretations Vary Widely (December 2004)

AHA Council Reaffirms Policy Statement on Oral History and Institutional Review Boards (June 8, 2004)

Letter of concurrence from Michael A. Carome, Associate Director, Office for Human Research Protections

Frequently Asked Questions on Policy Statement and "Historians and Institutional Review Boards: A Brief Bibliography" by Linda Shopes (Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission) and Donald Ritchie (U.S. Senate Historical Office), former members of Council.

 

 

Last Updated: January 24, 2012 10:50 AM