Good morning students - HIST 395 PDF

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HIST 395...

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Good morning students, and welcome to the beginning of your arduous journey on becoming chroniclers of the past. There will undoubtedly be trying and exasperating hurdles throughout your studies as you research the chosen topics and write your chronicle. However, utilizing the resources provided can lead to a fruitful and exciting new outlook on previous events. As historians, it is our responsibility and of utmost importance to provide the truth of events as accurately and unbiased as possible. We must first consider the sources we evaluate and the author's stance on the subject to do this. Start with the primary source and using the acronym "PAPER" created by Patrick Rael of Bowdoin College in 2004. Breaking it down, he writes, "Purpose of the author in preparing the document, -Argument and strategy she or he uses to achieve those goals -Presuppositions and values (in the text, and our own) -Epistemology (evaluating truth content) -Relate to other texts (compare and contrast)."1 No matter the source document such as articles, journals, books, and any source material related to the search of the topic, utilizing the Raels method provides a foundation to begin inquiring about the primary source and if it will assist you in writing the best review of your documents and supplying truthful and accurate information. Next is to remember that it is essential to understand the meaning of primary and secondary sources when writing about history. Primary sources are those written or "created at the time of the event or subject you've chosen to study or by people who were observers of or participants in that event or topic."2 Secondary sources are accounts composed after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. They are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources. Secondary sources are not evidence but instead an analysis of a discussion of evidence. When you understand the differences in sources, you then will be able to formulate a good research question that "Asks a good historical question, Tells how its interpretation connects to previous work by other historians and Offers a wellorganized and persuasive thesis of its own."3 Formulating a more precise research question will assist in collecting adequate research material and help to keep your project on task and accurate. Remembering to use the tools you are given you will be able to "Define the terms you use, Check your assumptions, Talk to professors and other experienced researchers, Continue to think about your time and budget constraints and Be flexible!"4 Notice the constant repetitiveness of the word "accurate" throughout the presentation. As historians and future historians, you will be writing, recording, and analyzing data and information that generations after you will be reading and studying. As important as it is for you to have the best accurate information, it will be equally as vital for them in their studies. Good luck and happy hunting.

1 Rael Patrick, "How to Read a Primary Source," (2004), https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/ 2 3Elizabeth Brown, Writing About History. What is a Primary Source? Writing about History | Writing Advice (utoronto.ca) 3 Ibid 4 Po-Yi Hung, and Abigail Popp. "How to Frame a Researchable Question." Learning Historical Research. http://www.williamcronon.net/researching/questions.htm.

Bibliography Brown, Elizabeth. Writing About History. What is a Primary Source? Writing about History | Writing Advice (utoronto.ca) Hung, Po-Yi, and Abigail Popp. "How to Frame a Researchable Question." Learning Historical Research. http://www.williamcronon.net/researching/questions.htm. Patrick Rael, "How to Read a Primary Source," (2004), https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/dam/...