One question that is frequently asked by new members of the reenacting community (I was guilty of this as well) goes something like "Will you tell me everything you know about subject X?"

Most of us who have spent the time reading the historic documents and examining artifacts are reluctant to spoon feed someone like that, if we do it at all (expect to get blown off pretty quick if you try it). We will gladly tell you information about specific subjects, given that we see you are taking the initiative to find the information on your own. Many of us will be able to point you in more directions to that knowledge out. Doing your own research and collaborating with others is an enriching part of the hobby and as you gain knowledge you can effectively interact at both a scholarly and unsophisticated level

For some people, it may be difficult to begin to do the research that is an integral part of making a good oral and visual presentation. A simple way that I have found is to make outlines of documents as I read them.

This process is simple: As I read through a book, article, etc, I don't seek specific points of information, but read the whole text and make notes of cultural aspects in general. These could be anything from how they cut their hair to political events. All of the quotes are in order or appearance, not subject. I also make a note of the page(s) that these quotes appear on, and obviously the book that contains it. For example, I may be looking for quotes on paint schemes. I can then go through my outlines, and look for references to 'paint' in different sources. If I have bothered to transcribe the whole quote, then I can stop there, or I can reference that page in the book. This is effectively the measure taken by Jim O'Neal in his Their Bearing is Noble and Proud series. One can also go the extra mile and organize the quotes collected by subject.

This method works for me, and allows one to easily synthesize what would otherwise be a tangle of information so that it can be presented clearly and simply.

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