Historiography SkillsResearch Skills

Research Steps*I can ask history-related questions about my topic.(Middle School Translation: I can ask good questions that make research easy.)

*I can identify secondary resources to use in research.(Middle School Translation: I can find books, textbooks, and websites about my topic.)

*I can read and use historical information from secondary sources.(Middle School Translation: I can find answers to my questions and explain them in my own words.)

*I can locate and select information from primary sources.(Middle School Translation: I can find real pictures, papers, songs, videos, or other stuff about my topic.)

*I can write an MLA-Style Works Cited Page.(Middle School Translation: I can give credit to the peeps that created my sources.)

*I can evaluate sources of historical information based on: bias, credibility, cultural context, reliability, and time period.(Middle School Translation: I can explain the point of view of whoever created my sources.)

*I can organize historical information from a variety of sources.(Middle School Translation: I can get all my notes in order so they make sense.)

I. 5 Tips for Successful Research Questions

A. 5 Tips for Successful1. Spark interest and make you think2. Aren’t too narrow or broad3. Make it easy to tell what kind of informationto look for

a. Facts, Statistics, Opinions

4. Make it easy to tell what kind of sources touse

b. Books, Internet, Government Documents,People, etc.

5. Are answered by information in sources you can access easily.

B. Research Questions-Examples:

1. Who was involved (organizations, people, countries, states)

2. What? (What is the final outcome? Who won or lost? What did they win or lose?

3. When did this all occur? (time period, dates)4. Where did all of this take place? (location,

region, states, countries)5. How?

II. SourcesA. Secondary Sources

1. Accounts of past events created by people some time after the events happened.

a. Encyclopedias, b. non-fiction text (TRUE)

1. Dewey Decimal System in the Library helps organize text based on subjectEx: History, Health, Nature

c. Websites

B. Primary Sources1. FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS-Historical documents, written

accounts by a firsthand witness, or objects that have survived the past

a. letters, government documents, diariesb. art objects, photographsc. stamps, coins, and even clothing

III. Evaluating Sources

A. Websites: What makes a website reliable? 4 Tips1. Author:

a. Who wrote the Web page? Is the person an authority on the topic? What credentials does the author/site have?

2. Purpose: a. What is the goal of the site? Is the information accurate? Does it fit the goal of your project? Why did the author publish this site?

3. Audience: a. Does the site clearly identify the audience? Are you part of the intended audience? Does the audience for the site match you as a researcher?

4. Publication: a. When was the site published or last updated? Isthe information current? Are the links up-to-date?

B. Understanding URLs to help evaluate websites

1. .edu = educational institutiona. http://docsouth.unc.edu

2. .gov = US government sitea. http://memory.loc.gov

3. .org = organization or associationa. http://www.theaha.org

4. .com = commercial sitea. http://www.historychannel.com

5. .museum = museuma. http://nc.history.museum

6. .net = personal or other sitea. http://www.californiahistory.net

Search Engines

Search Engines

Google (http://www.google.com)Yahooligans (

http://www.yahooligans.com)Bing (http://bing.com)AlltheWeb (http://www.alltheweb.com

) Altavista (http://www.altavista.com)

IV: Using MLA Format for Works Cited

A. Citing: Gives credit, acknowledges or references to the author/publisher.

B. Works Cited: List of sources strictly organized that helped to create your paper/product.-

1. Helps avoid plagiarism2. MLA Format: Rules in which to help give credit to

the publisher a. In order to be successful -follow directions

carefully.1. You must use the citation format

appropriate for the resource. You must be precise with order, punctuation and format.

Examples of how to cite sourcesBook with One Author• Author or editor, Title of the book, Place of

publication: Publisher, Date of publication. Format notation.

Sample: Fleming, Thomas. Liberty!: The American Revolution. New York: Viking, 2007. Print.

Examples on how to cite sources

Book with Two or Three Authors• Authors’ names (, and between them) . Title of

the book in italics Place of publication: Publisher, Date of publication. Format notation.

Sample: Rowe, Richard, and Larry Jeffus. The Essential Welder: Gas Metal Arc Welding Classroom Manual. Albany: Delmar, 2005. Print.

Examples on how to cite sourcesEncyclopedia/Reference WorkAuthor (if indicated). Title of article (in quotations). Title of encyclopedia in italics. Edition, if applicable. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of publication. Format notation.

• Sample for widely used reference work:"Chaucer." Encyclopedia Brittanica. 15th ed. 1998. Print.

• Sample for a signed article in ref. work: Epps, Helen H. “Textiles.” The World Book Encyclopedia.(Use for World Book Encyclopedia) Vol. 19. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2005 ed. Print.

Examples on how to cite sources

Website:• Author, editor, compiler, etc. (if given).Title of particular

web page (in quotes). Title of web site or database (italicized). Date site was last updated (day month year). Group responsible for the site (if applicable) . Date you accessed the site. Format/medium notation (Web). Full web address of the site (in brackets <>).

• Sample: ”Directions.” Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. 11 Feb. 2008. National Park Service. 10 May 2009. Web. <http://www.nps.gov/abli/planyourvisit/directions.htm>.

MLA Format (Works Cited)/ Rules TIPS! Required Basic Formatting Items for MLA:• Center the title “Works Cited.”• Double space your Works Cited page.• Use 1” margins all around. Use ½” margin for your last name and page number.• Put works cited in alphabetical order.• If author’s name is unknown, alphabetize by the title.• When alphabetizing, ignore any initial A, An, or The or equivalent in another language.• Utilize hanging indentation of ½” (see below).• Date format is: day month (3 letter abbreviation) year (15 Oct. 2008).• For place of publication, use city, state format if city is not well known; otherwise, city only.• If you must divide the URL of a website, do so only after a slash (/) and do not add a hyphen.• If using Word, after cutting and pasting the URL into your citation, right mouse click on the URL and select “undo hyperlink” to change text to black color and deactivate the link.

V. Analyzing Primary Sources

A. Primary Sources Analysis: Break apart/dissect a first-hand-account in order to understand the meaning as a piece of history's larger puzzle

1. It will differ as primary sources are subject to interpretation based on individual insights, knowledge, and personal context.

B. Tips for Analyzing Primary Sources:

1. OBSERVE-

a. What do you notice first? What do you notice that you didn’t expect? · What do you notice that you can’t explain? · What do you notice now that you didn’t earlier?

2. REFLECT –

a. Where do you think this came from? · Why do you think somebody made this? · What do you think was happening when this was made? · Who do you think was the audience for this item? · What tool was used to create this? · Why do you think this item is important? · If someone made this today, what would be different? · What can you learn from examining this?

3. QUESTION-

a. What do you wonder about... who? · what? · when? · where? ·why? · how?

LOOK ON PAGE H2George Washington

1. Who are the people and how many are shown?

2. What are the objects in the photograph?

3. What are the activities displayed?

4. What can you conclude about the photograph?

5. What is the impact the photograph has on you?

6. What questions does it raise?

Primary Source Analysis1. Who are the people

and how many are shown?

2. What are the objects in the photograph?

3. What are the activities displayed?

4. What can you conclude about the photograph?

5. What is the impact the photograph has on you?

6. What questions does it raise?

Library of Congress(www.loc.gov)

Digital Collections

Prints and Photographs

People

VI. Analyzing Bias Primary SourcesA. Bias - Preference or judgment to one particular point of view

B. Bias Rule: Every source is biased in some way. 1. Documents tell us only what the creator

of the document thought happened, or perhaps only what the creator wants us to think happened. C. Time and Place Rule

1. The closer in time and place a source and its creator were to an event in the past, the better the source will be.

Bias Rule Cont…

D. As a result, historians follow these bias rule guidelines when they review evidence from the past:

1. Every piece of evidence and every source must be read or viewed critically.

2. No piece of evidence should be taken at face value. The creator's point of view must be considered.

3. Each piece of evidence and source must be compared with related sources and pieces of evidence.

Example: Bias AnalysisQuestions to ask when analyzing (break apart) the Bias in a source

1. Who created the source and why? Was it created through a spur-of-the-moment act, routinely, or a thoughtful, deliberate process? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

2. Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder report what others saw and heard? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

3. Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the creator have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

4. Did the recorder produce the source for personal use, for one or more individuals, or for a large audience? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

5. Was the source meant to be public or private? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

6. Did the recorder wish to inform or persuade others? (Check the words in the source. The words may tell you whether the recorder was trying to be objective or persuasive.) Did the recorder have reasons to be honest or dishonest? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

7. Was the information recorded during the event, immediately after the event, or after some lapse of time? How large a lapse of time? How do you know this? (Evidence from the source)

1. Explain Bias using your own words (from the discussion yesterday)2. What must be considered when analyzing bias? 3. Describe whether you think this painting was created through a spur-of-the-

moment act, a routine transaction, or a thoughtful , deliberate process?- Please explain how you came to this conclusion.

2. Do you think the recorder had firsthand knowledge of the event? Or, did the recorder report what others saw and heard? Why do you think this?

3. Was the source meant to be public or private? How do you know this?

4. Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the creator have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? If you are unsure please speculate or guess and explain why.(back up your opinion)

5. Brainstorm primary sources you might find on your topic.

Painting is also on H2 in your book