Purpose
Success in university research assignments relies on being able to find the right sources. There are three central goals of this assignment:
- to develop your research skills using sources available online, using material from the UNBC library and the wider web.
- to expand your critical thinking and reading skills in analyzing academic and non-academic primary and secondary sources.
- to communicate academic information to a broader audience.
Description
In this assignment, you will do research on a particular primary source created prior to 1550, evaluate the primary source, find secondary sources related to it, and produce an narrated PowerPoint or other short video, podcast, or written report aimed at a broad audience in the end.
Step One: Choosing Your Topic (due Sept. 18th)
The first step of this assignment is to choose a primary source and meet with Dr. Wessell Lightfoot in person in her office to sign up for it.
Details on topics and how to meet with Dr. Wessell Lightfoot available here:
Step Two: Using Encyclopedias and A.I. to prepare for research and develop basic contextual knowledge (due Sept. 27th)
When starting to research a new topic, encyclopedias are often a good source to give you an overview of the key issues. For this step of the assignment, you will research your primary source and its context on Wikipedia, using one other encyclopedia, and using the introduction to your source in the textbook.
For more information: Step Two: Using Encyclopedias
Step Three: Analysing your primary source (due October 18th)
Primary sources provide us with the foundation for our understanding of a given historical period. In this step of the assignment, you will focus your analysis on your specific primary source as it is presented in the textbook, considering what it can tell us about the time period and place that it comes from.
For more information: Step Three: Analysing your primary source
Step Four: Using Journal Articles (due Nov. 8th)
To expand the research on your primary sources and the topics it explores, this step of the assignment asks you to locate secondary sources using databases connected to the library.
For more information: Step Four: Using Journal Articles
Step Five: Sharing your knowledge (due Dec. 4th)
Using all of the research that you’ve gathered and analyzed, this step of the assignment asks you to share it by creating a narrated PowerPoint or other short video or podcast or written report designed to teach a friend or family member about what you’ve learned.
For more information: Step Five: Sharing Your Knowledge