DP1 Students: IA Engagements!

Complementary Research

What serves as good research into your engagement activity?

EA research will involve a mix of primary and secondary sources. The primary sources will essentially be your engagements -- things that you are directly involved in (interviews, volunteering, attending events, etc.) Secondary sources are highly likely to come from the internet, but depending on your political issue (and engagements) you may be able to find physical copies of sources.

Keep in mind that IB calls this "complementary research."

You should start out by looking for things that give you background information or a sense of what is happening with your political issue.

As work on the EA goes on, research continues and it fills gaps in your engagements or expands upon what you uncover or learn in your engagements.

News Sources

Since you're (all?) tackling topics related to Taiwan, you will benefit from Taiwanese media. There are a wide range of English- and Chinese-language sources at your disposal, with some providing factual accounts of events and others offering commentary and opinion pieces. Some of the better English-language sources include the Taipei Times, Focus Taiwan (the English-language version of Taiwan's Central News Agency -- note that this is state-owned), and the English version of Taiwan's Commonwealth Magazine.

Chinese-language sources are also abundant, but you need to be cautious in determining their credibility (also, there are other English-language sources in Taiwan that are also pretty terrible. Taiwan journalism in general is... pretty bad. Be careful.)

Government Reports

Depending on your topic, there may be relevant government reports or publications you can use. You'll want to identify what part of government is involved (i.e. what ministry or department) and see what is out there. Often, reports are published yearly or biannually. Comparing different years to see changes is often helpful!

NGOs and Stakeholders

NGOs love writing about stuff -- it's how they raise awareness, money, attract volunteers, etc.

Keep in mind that Chinese-language sources are A-OK, so long as they are authentic and relevant. A report from a stakeholder, like a group advocating for a certain policy, or a pamphlet, or even just the signs they make are all valid sources of information and different perspectives.

"Big Picture"

You should look at sources that show your political issue in a larger context -- international news sources are also good. Some starting points...

New York Times
The Guardian (UK)
Nikkei (one of the largest Japanese news services)
Financial Times (they are pretty trigger-happy with limits on how many articles you can read -- send me a link and I'll get my friend to send me an article, if you need it.)

What else?

There's obviously JSTOR and EBSCO, but the EA tends to rely less on database sources like these.

Don't overlook YouTube! There are excellent videos from EXCELLENT organizations there -- YouTube itself is just like a "container," and there's a mix of good and bad hidden inside. Videos of past events, interviews with key figures, etc. can often be found.

OPCVL - Values and limitations ; origin, purpose, and content

Keep these questions in mind when thinking about any source you use...

What value does it bring to me?

Is the author an expert, or a professional (journalist, researcher, etc.)?
Is the source timely? (Is it recent enough that there is still something relevant to what you're studying?)
Who made this and why? (Is this a fact-based news story? An NGO report? A video of interviews with regular people?)
What in this source is helpful improving your understanding of a political issue? (Does it connect to key concepts?)
Does this source relate in any way to your engagements? (Does it inspire questions you want to ask someone, does it offer an alternate perspective, etc.)

What limitations make this source questionable, if any?

Does it come from a credible source?
Does it come from a source that receives all or part of its funding from a government (TW or outside)?
If the source is a little older, have recent events essentially made it irrelevant? Does it still represent the current situation?

Don't take for granted that information you get is good -- even from the people you interview. Seek other opinions or views. Engage critically with your work!

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