Choosing an Area to Research

Keep notes and write journal entries while going through the following  activities designed to help find a research area.
 

• Look back through the notes taken during the tutorials and at the sources themselves.  What possible research areas are found within those notes?
• Reread your finished research project and make notes about possible  research areas.

• Examine the research done by other students and explore possibilities for further research based on their work.  Look for ways to collaborate with others on the research.
• Talk to family members, neighbors, and other people in the community about research projects they feel are important.
• Visit the local museums, schools, churches, etc.  and talk to them about projects they are engaged in that another research project might enhance.
• Read local histories looking for issues and events  that might make good research projects.

After finding a suitable area for research, a specific question must be developed.  This research question will guide all of the research done in this area.   It must be limited to a small part of the research area, as the research questions on the tutorials were limited.  Use the research journal to list possible research questions on the research area.

      How did the percentage of Swedish immigrants in Prairie Township compare to the percentage of other ethnic groups (African Americans, Germans, French, etc.) at the time?  Research reasons such as world events, local history, etc. that would have influenced the immigration rates.

    After writing several possible research questions on your research area, test the appropriateness of each question by asking  the following questions about each one.
 

•     Is the research question of interest to me ?
• Is there enough understanding of the area and interest to justify an extended period of research on this question?
• Does it relate to my life or areas of the community I am interested in?

• Is the question researchable ?
• Is the question about a narrow part of the larger research area?
• Are there resources available to answer this question?  What are they?
• Will their be time to gather and work through these resources?
• What is the purpose for doing this research?
• Does the question ask an important question about the community?
• Will the answer to the question provide leads for other possible research in this area?
• Will the research reveal information that is important to understanding today's community?

 
• Is the question original?
• Has this research already been done?
• Is there a possibility that this research will refute accepted notions of research already done, or expand the knowledge base about that area?

  Choosing the Right Research Method
 
    The traditional idea of research is to report the results in a research paper.  Often, however, other media or types of literature are appropriate as well.  In the tutorials, both a research paper and an alternative format, such as poetry, music or drama were required.
Could your results be presented in a Power Point presentation?

    There are other ways to share research findings, and it is important that the right format be chosen to answer the research question.  Below are some formats and their descriptions to help choose the best format to answer the research question.

Traditional Research Paper:

    This is the most common format and is especially appropriate for data based research but is also well suited for many other types of research.  It uses a  traditional  format with footnotes and a bibliography page as defined by the Modern Language Association.

The Researched Base  Humanities Project:

    Short stories, dramas, art works,  musical compositions , photographic studies are but a few of the types of humanities based projects that can result from a research project.  The finished piece must be accompanied by a paper that puts the piece into the context of the research area and a bibliography page.

    Between the ages of 19 and 22, you and a sibling decide to leave the United States of America and immigrate to another country.  What country would you go to?  How would you travel?  What would the situation have to be like in the United States in order for you to leave the rest of your family?
 

Archiving Activities:

    Without researchers who discover and share resources, there would be no expansion of understanding of the community history.    There are many local histories, photographs, and other sources that need to be scanned and placed on the internet.  An editor's introduction is needed to place the archived works in context.

     The Wyandotte County Museum has additional resources.  The  Lutheran Church in Lansing, KS may have additional records of marriage, baptism, etc.
 

• Hints on Establishing a School Archive
 

Planning a Tour:

     Many projects cannot be understood unless the presentation is in the field.  Develop a presentation on a historic site in the area, lecture to the group before time and lead a tour of that site.   You may discover through your research a possible site.

Writing a Children's Book

    Translate the story you have learned into an illustrated children's book.  Go to several elementary schools and read the book to the children there.   You could follow a particular person in a Swedish family, something similar to the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.
 

• Hints on writing historical fiction for children
 

Oral Histories:

    The most powerful community history comes from the mouths of those who have lived there.  Interview someone who has ties to this community or another to discover how the times in which that person lived influenced his or her life.  These stories should be preserved in audio, video or internet format.   Interview a person who has immigrated recently to the United States.  Find out why they left, what was it like to live in the their home country, etc.  What do they miss, both good and bad?  How does their story affect you?  Did they keep a diary that you can use as a resource?
American Women's Oral History
Library of Congress: Oral History Lesson
 
Field Research

    Some of the most authentic research can be gathered by asking people for their opinions on important issues.  This is more than just an opinion poll, but seeks to answer a research question using answers to questionnaires, interviews, and observations as data.  Such a research project focussed on a school would provide valuable information for the community in which it is located.
 

                                                        Getting Started

    The research projects above should follow the same model as the tutorials.  Create a notebook that will include the steps of research they did.  Use this notebook to organize the research for the final project.

Good Luck.

 

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