Conducting Research
How to Conduct Research
Nothing in history happens in a vacuum. To understand the connections between your topic and the time period, begin reading about the time period and as you read ask yourself questions:
- Why did my topic happen at this particular time and in this particular place?
- What were the events or the influences that came before my topic?
- How was my topic influenced by and how did it influence the economic, social, political, and cultural climate of the time period?
All of these questions will help you to build the story of your topic and grasp the historical significance. This will also help you begin thinking about your thesis.
Develop a Thesis Statement
NHD projects should do more than just tell a story. Every exhibit, performance, documentary, paper and website should make a point about its topic. To do this, you must develop your own argument of the historical impact of the person, event, pattern or idea you are studying. The point you make is called a thesis statement. A thesis statement is not the same as a topic. Your thesis statement explains what you believe to be the impact and significance of your topic in history. Example:
Topic: Battle of Gettysburg
Thesis Statement: The battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point of the Civil War. It turned the tide of the war from the South to the North, pushing back Lee’s army that would never fight again on Northern soil and bringing confidence to the Union army.
Primary Sources
A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to interpret what happened and why it happened.
Examples of primary sources include: documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or other written and tangible items created during the historical period you are studying.
Places to Look for Primary Source Material
Students should consider the following sources when looking for primary source material:
- Municipal and College Libraries
- Local and State Historical Associations
- Museums
- State Archives
- Corporate Archives
- Town and County Historians
- Town Hall Records
- Town Planning Offices
- Schools
- Churches
- Community Groups, such as the VFW, DAR, Ethnic Organizations, etc.
- Community Residents
Secondary Sources
A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand by someone who participated in the historical era. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, but based on the historian’s reading of primary sources. Secondary sources are usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred by people who did not live through or participate in the event or issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story of your research from multiple perspectives and to give your research historical context.
An example of a secondary source is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson, published in 1988. They are a great starting point in helping you see the big picture. Understanding the context of your topic will help you make sense of the primary sources that you find.
The primary and secondary sources McPherson used are listed in the bibliography. Another researcher might consult these same primary sources and reach a different conclusion.
Citations/Bibliographies
To record the information the two acceptable styles of writing for NHD projects are Turabian and MLA. Historians use Turabian but we know that many classes in middle school and high school teach the MLA style. It does not matter which of these two styles you use, but it is important to be consistent. For help with questions about citations, you can check out Turabian or MLA guides from your local library.
An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. The annotation for each source must explain how the source was used and how it helped you understand your topic. You should also use the annotation to explain why you categorized a particular source as primary or secondary. Sources of visual materials and oral interviews, if used, must also be included.
List only those sources that you used to develop your entry. An annotation normally should be only 1-3 sentences long. Click here for more information on Annotated Bibliographies.
Websites to Conduct Research
ABC CLIO Databases (username: milfordstu & password: milfordstu)
Britannica Online (username: sausd & password: library)
1. Login
2. Choose any level
3. Select "My Britannica" at the top right of the screen.
4. Select "Sign up" enter requested information and "School Code" ZTC3
EBSCO Host Collections (username: milford & password: 03055)
EPIC Discovery (username: burnshs & password: 23burnshs)
JSTOR (username: springfieldths & password: ruvatupa)
Proquest Historical Newspapers (username: SFIELDREMOTE & password: REMOTE001)
SIRS Database (username: NH0050H & Password: 03055)