Rusty Godfrey's World of History Bids You Welcome

FIRST OF ALL --- RELAX (IT'S GONNA BE FUN)

Research - a word that frightens many people - is the true heart of a great National History Day project.  Sixty percent of the contest rubric judges use to score students at the official contests derives from historical content.  Many students shudder at the seemingly overwhelming task of locating, gathering, processing, and incorporating historical information into their projects.  Do not worry: I am going to divide the task up for you into manageable deadlines as well as teach you how to do quality research.

In place of groaning when you hear the word "research," I want you have a Pavlovian response of "Oh boy, I get to research something I really love!"  Research can be really fun though in its own way, especially when you are researching something that interests you.  And who picks the topic of your NHD project?   You do!  So, choose a topic that fits the theme that you have always wanted to know more about.  Likewise, select a topic that provides you with ample sources of both primary and secondary sources of information.   

The first semester (nine weeks 1 and 2) students will devote to researching their approved topics that fit this year's contest theme.  Students will do a minimum of 100 "fact cards" and at least 12 "source cards" by the end of the semester.  The first nine weeks research will be devoted to primary sources (sources directly from people who experienced events), and the second nine weeks research will devoted to secondary sources (indirect sources of information about historical events by people who did not directly experience them).   Students will not begin building their projects until second semester begins in January 2013.   

PRIMARY SOURCES RESEARCH (FIRST NINE WEEKS)

For the 1st nine weeks, you will have to locate a minimum of six primary sources of information about your topic.  Do not copy sentences from the primary documents onto your index cards.  Do not use quotes as “facts.”  If you wish to put a quote on the back of a index card, and then write three facts about it on the front, then this will be acceptable.  Same thing applies for visual documents like photographs (put it on back, 3 facts on front).  

When you use primary sources, the following are acceptable facts for the index cards:

·        “Background Information” / Source Data:  who wrote it, when was it written, when was it published, where was it written, who was the intended audience, is there any detectable bias, etc. (for audiovisual sources, similar kinds of questions)

·        Inferences from the primary document:  These are original conclusions that you make based on the document. (Example:  Washington was irritated at Continental Congress for failure to supply basic necessities to the Army.)

·        Facts you learn from the document.  (Example: Washington spent the winter of 1777-78 encamped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.)

Remember that primary sources are original to the time period that you are studying.  Good examples include speeches, laws, dairies, maps, newspaper articles, novels, films, photographs, paintings, and songs of the time period.  Also, if you conduct an interview with someone who was a witness to an event, then that person is himself a primary source of information.  If possible, visiting a museum or archives is a fantastic way to unearth high-quality primary documents that you will not probably find otherwise.  The Library of Congress website is excellent (especially the “American Memory” collection). The SCGSAH Library Online Resources are excellent and really amazing in their diversity and quality. The resources available to you include the following: 19th Century US Newspapers, African American Song, American National Biography Online, American Song, ARTStore, Classical Music Library, Classical Scores Library, Discus, Gale, Grolier, Grove Art, Grove Music, Infotrac, LitFinder, Oxford African American Studies Center, SIRS Discoverer, SIRS Knowledge Source, and Smithsonian Global Sound. What an excellent starting place for your topics, or even to browse to ascertain an exciting topic!

Be sure to vary your sources of information.  Do not have all sources come from one source like the Internet or even the excellent History Database to which the school subscribes.  If using a source that is a compendium of primary documents, you may cite each document separately in your bib.  Again, don’t have all your eggs in one basket: use a variety of sources for primary documents. 

Do not muddy the water between primary and second sources.  Locate distinctly primary sources first.  Some of the databases to which we subscribe have a "primary sources" tab that you can click on.   Many of you with 20th Century topics will find a set of volumes called "American Decades: Primary Sources" to be very useful.  It is o.k. to "be on the lookout" for good secondary sources, but save these for 2nd nine weeks.  An excellent idea would be to have a notebook where you write down the exact locations where you find the sources that you will later come back to - including the author/title/call number for an item in the shelves and the name of an article/author/ascension number/database name for electronic sources.   That way you don't have to tell the librarian that you are "looking for that red book on Vietnam." 

SECONDARY SOURCES RESEARCH (SECOND NINE WEEKS)

For the 2nd nine weeks, you will use at least six secondary sources of information.   These are often written by academic historians who did not directly experience this events, but who try to help modern people understand these events through analysis and historical interpretation.  Many of the print materials you might need to use for American history for secondary sources are available in the 973 section of the Dewey decimal system in our library.  You may of course use the academic databases described above available to you at the SCGSAH library (and many of them with remote access via Internet with the password provided to you by librarians).   Students often tell me that secondary sources are easier to locate for their topics than the primary sources required for the first nine weeks.  Do not copy sentences from the secondary sources on the fact cards - please put the information you learned from these authors into your own words.
 

GODFREY'S FOUR EASY RESEARCH PAYMENTS (LIKE THE INFOMERCIAL)

Four times you pay me 3 “source cards” in MLA format   +   25 “fact cards”

Sept. = (Primary) Sources #1-3 + fact cards #1-25.  Due M 9/17

Oct.  = (Primary) Sources #4-6 + fact cards #26-50.  Due M  10/1

Nov. = (Secondary) Sources #7-9 + fact cards #51-75.  Due M 10/22

Dec. = (Secondary) Sources #10-12 + fact cards #76-100.  Due  M 11/5

SAMPLE FACT CARD

 

RULES FOR FACT CARDS

1. These cards must be handwritten. 
2. Must have topic line with topic of all 3 facts on card in top left corner on the pink line of index card.
3. Must have unique source # and unique fact card # (keep a “running count”) in the top right corner on the pink line on index card.
4. Must write facts in complete subjects (subject + predicate + punctuation mark).
5. Must number the facts 1, 2, and 3.
6. Quotes are not facts, but you may write a quote on the back of the card, and write three facts about the quote on the front.  Likewise, you may glue an image on the back and have three facts on the front about the image.
7. You may do extra fact cards about the same topic (but need three additional facts for each card).

SAMPLE SOURCE CARD (Print Source)

 

 

RULES FOR SOURCE CARDS

1. These are handwritten.
2. Must have a source line with unique number (keep running count) in top left corner on pink line of index card.
3. Source must be cited in MLA style.  You must create a free account and utilize this website: http://www.easybib.com/   EasyBib is a free bibliography website that allows you to cite sources easily, correctly, and quickly in the latest MLA version (MLA 7th edition).  All you need to remember to do is add your annotation.
4. Must have a two sentence annotation (complete sentences) telling how you used the work and of what value it was to your research process.  My sample notecards above only show one sentence on the front (the back of the card would have a second sentence). 
5. Notice the correct hanging indent and do likewise.  (ONLY the first line goes to the left margin --- all additional lines for that entry INCLUDING the annotation are indented five character spaces. 
6. MLA rules specify double-spacing for bibliographic sources so double-space your source cards. 

FINAL RULES FOR INDEX CARDS

1. When you turn these in put the source cards together on top followed by the fact cards at the back. 
2. You may finish a long fact on the back of the card if need be.
3. You may utilize either 3x5 or 4x6 index cards – your choice. 
4. You may devise a color-coded system of your own, but this is NOT required.
5. You may purchase a file box for your index cards if you prefer, but otherwise Godfrey will provide you with a ziplock bag for the cards.

Research cards count 20% of the nine weeks grade for 1^st and 2nd nine weeks – so be sure that you do a neat and correct job with these index cards.   Remember that it is ­solid research that makes a NHD project authentic and historically well-grounded.   People can always tell if the project is shoddy due to poor quality research or insufficient information.