1 hf research_journey
TRANSCRIPT
Doing History Fair is like being a detective
• Untangling a mystery (History Fair historical question and thesis) through research
• Finding evidence• Building a case
DN-0078953, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society
Each stage of the research journey calls for different sources that move from the general
to the specific, from secondary sources to primary sources.
STAGE 3: IN DEPTH Secondary Sources
Specialized, narrow-focused books and journals by experts, historians
Primary SourcesActual papers and records in archives and special collections, more online digitized primary sources, interviews
with participants, witnesses
STAGE 2: ON TOPICSecondary Sources
Chicago History books and magazine articles, general history books
on topic
Primary SourcesFound in books,
magazines, digitized special collections or online databases and
portals
STAGE 1: General
Secondary Sources
EncyclopediaTextbook
General history books
One or two primary sources
Make History Here!
Stage 1– Basic Knowledge
TYPES OF SOURCES• General and
Specialized Encyclopedia (includes Wikipedia)
• Textbook• General history books• One or two primary
sources
TYPES OF QUESTIONSWho are the key people?What are the key events?Where does it fit on a
larger timeline?
What information sparks my curiosity and helps me narrow my topic?
Stage 2 – On Narrowed Topic
TYPES OF SOURCES
Secondary Sources– Chicago and Illinois history
books and magazine articles
– General history books on topic
– Popular history magazines and periodicals
– Documentaries– Museum exhibits
Primary Sources– Available from books,
magazines, digitized special collections or online databases and portals
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
• What is the context?• Why and how did these
events happen?• What are the causes and
effects?• What were the various
motivations, perspectives, and concerns of the people involved?
• How does this story fit into the big picture?
Stage 3 – In-depth
TYPES OF SOURCES
Secondary Sources• Specialized, narrow-focused
books and journals by experts, historians
• Interviews with experts and historians
Primary Sources• Special collections and
archives, more online collections
• Interviews with participants, witnesses
TYPES OF QUESTIONS
• What key arguments do historians make?
• What do you think matters about this topic? What story are you going to tell?
• What are the core issues? • Why does this topic matter--
what is the big picture?• What is the long-term historical
significance of this topic?
Key Sources for Research
– Internet• Online databases• Primary sources• AVOID websites as secondary sources unless credible authors
– Libraries• Secondary & Primary Sources from books, journal and magazine
articles, and special collections
– Historical collections at libraries and archives• Primary sources
– Interviews • Witnesses, participants = primary • Experts, scholars, second-hand = secondary
Online Databases
Examples of databases:• America History Online
(Facts on File)• J-Stor• History Cooperative• America: History & Life• First Search• History Database• ABC-CLIO
• Secondary sources for basic information, background, and overview.
• Some will contain primary source materials
• Some will give citations—then need to see to get the journal (often on microfiche)
• Some will have full-text, scanned versions of articles
Google, Yahoo are NOT
sources – they are
Search Engines
(It might help to think of them as library card catalogs… that get you to the sources you need.)
Deciphering a URL
• .edu =• .com=• .org=• .gov=• .net=
--which can be trusted (credible)???Who wrote the piece and why is she/he an
expert? When was the site updated? Who “owns” the site?
Are you working for Google or is Google working for you?
• Getting 2,000,000 hits on your query?
• Pulling up sites that give you the same old same old over and over again?
• Not sure of the website’s credibility?
When you use Google: Command Google….
• Group words together: “Juvenile Court History”
• Use 2 commands together: “Juvenile Court History” + Chicago
• Specify type of website: “juvenile court history”:gov or “juvenile court history”:edu
\ALSO:Use the “Advanced Search” options.• Use metacrawlers and directories…. • Googlebooks and Google Scholar…..
WHAT’S UP WITH Wikipedia?
It’s a beginning reference -- just like a general encyclopedia which means its
only background information – not a valid History Fair secondary source. The citations, however, can be useful in
finding real books and articles.
Secondary Sources are First!*
*but you will find primary sources along the way, too!
A Superior Detective will…
• Keep track of your leads: What keywords, terms, or tags you used and star those especially helpful.
• Keep organized and use active notetaking! Use your own words and ask questions as your take notes.
• Get all bibliographic information at the same time. You may think you’ll remember….
Info or quotesQuestions & ideas
CITATION
Always start your History Fair research:
Encyclopedia of Chicago
• Key, basic information
• Timeline for context: social, political, cultural, economic factors
• Themes to help understand bigger picture: for example, Americanization, racism, contested space, political cultural
• References to quality secondary sources
• Primary sources, maps, graphs
Available as a book at every public library or online @
www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org
Links to other entries
Primary source
AuthorImportant secondary sources recommended by author
Similar narrow topic can be very helpful in building knowledge
Chicago Public Library Harold Washington Library, Local & Regional Branches, & Online
• Books, magazines, journals, newspapers
• Online databases that contain secondary and some primary sources
• Online primary sources
• Special collections with one of a kind or rare materials for primary sources—Harsh Collection at Woodson & Sulzer regionals + downtown
Strategies to get the most out of CPL online
• Research the catalog at home or school computer so when you go to the library you can go right to the books or journals you need
• Jot down call #s and the location in the library.
• Many online databases are available at HOME with a valid CPL Library card or at neighborhood branches.
Shows the library, location, and call # -- an efficient way to find similar topics
If not at your local branch, place a “hold” on book and it will be delivered to your local library
Books are categorized a number of ways. Use subjects to find related titles
Another way to use the CPL catalog
The “tags” or groups that appear on the side can lead more materials on the topic – choose what seems most relevant for your needs
BIG TIP “Follow the Footnotes”
THE BEST SECONDAY SOURCES CAN LEAD TO:
– OTHER KEY SECONDARY SOURCES
– WHERE TO FIND PRIMARY SOURCES Such as special collections or newspaper and magazine dates…
– AND WILL OFTEN CONTAIN PRIMARY SOURCES STUDENTS CAN USE!
PRIMARY SOURCES:
A person’s “PAPERS” in Special Collections or newspaper articles written at that time
SECONDARY SOURCES: Journal and newspaper articles, books, & dissertations
Why use history journals?
• Background information• Learn other historians’ interpretations
– this is called “joining the conversation”
• Often a work-in-progress of a longer book by the historian
• Primary sources• Lead to more secondary and primary
sources – “follow the footnotes”
History journals such as Chicago History or the Journal of American History contain both secondary & primary sources
These kinds of journals are INDEXED in “America: History & Life” and J-Stor.
J-STOR offers FULL TEXT quality secondary source articles by historians and other scholars dating from as far back as 1899 until the 1990s.
Now available at all CPL branches (but not from home)!
History Fair Bibliographies at www.chicagohistory.org
Use CHM bibliographies to find as many sources as possible through CPL, so when you go to the resource center at CHM, you are looking at sources you can’t get elsewhere!
Amazon.com can help find recent books that may be important for your research. Many new books will show Table of Contents or Index so you can figure out if you need to look at it. Also, “other books bought” and tags can take you to more sources to look for at the library.
Do you think CPL will have this book?
Primary Sources
All kinds of material from the time period that are the “voices from the past” and can
be found wherever things have been saved. Depending on the topic, search
online, at libraries-archives-special collections, organizations and businesses, and perhaps your even your own home!
Primary sources are the “stuff of history” that make history come alive and are the evidence
for your argument.
The best websites are composed mostly of primary sources. In some cases, they are subject-based and organized.
Chicago History Museum sources that contain both primary and secondary sources.
Ask to see the printed materials, and Special Collections—but only after you’ve done your background research!
J-STOR: available online AT any Chicago Library branch
Why is this article a primary source? What might you gain from reading it?
Websites often list what RECORDS & PAPERS they hold offer a description of what a research may find. The librarians and archivists know their collections best, so call to talk about research before going.
Chicago Historical MuseumResearch Center
Students must make an appointment to use research center.
The real treasures are in the Manuscripts & Papers, printed catalog, and photo archives. Check out “Archie” to begin your search into the special collections. A CHM librarian’s support is crucial.
Government Documents
• Municipal (city) Reference Library & Government Documents at CPL has city documents such as city council proceedings, laws, reports from city agencies, and proposals. Government Documents has laws, executive orders, congressional hearings, and other material from the state and U.S. government.
• National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) has one of its six branches in Chicago & YOU can use any of the material such as court documents, immigration papers, reports and photos from local agencies, military records, and patents.
A word about INTERVIEWS
• Primary source = a witness or participant
• Secondary source = an expert or scholar or someone telling you what someone else told them…
ALWAYS DO BASIC RESEARCH BEFORE YOU
INTERVIEW!
Visit Historic Sites & Museums
Going to the places where history happened or taking a close look at the "real stuff" in museums helps students visualize the history that they've been researching and is an exciting part of doing History Fair.
The guides at historic sites and museums can offer many insights – still, they are secondary sources.
Write down the information for your source as you go along.
The Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is
composed of the citation and a brief description of each article or book listed and how it was used. The description helps the reader evaluate the content and usefulness of each item to his/her research—and shows the judges the students’ historical journey.
(Attach to the Summary Statement Form.)
Bibliographic Information maybe either MLA or Turabian (CMS) style.
The annotation summarizes the source and explains how it was used in project.
Primary and Secondary Sources should be separated.
There are 3 parts to an annotated bibliography
“Battle for the World’s Fair Site.” Chicago Daily Tribune 23 September 1889, 4.
In this article, the Chicago Tribune stated that Chicago would only have to worry about New York getting the World’s Fair, which I used to prove that because Washington did not have enough money, and St. Louis entered the competition late, they were not big competitors.
Summary of the
information used Explanation of how it was used for evidence
The Citation
If you have access to the internet, use
Easybib.comor
Citationmaker.com
Best style for projects is “CMS” which means “Chicago Manual of
Style” otherwise known as “Turabian.”
MLA is acceptable.
(Remember to save on your own disk in a Word file!)
Tips for Citations