November 1

Homework

• Writing Minutes
• Freewriting (There was a flash of shiny red ribbon.)
• 2nd draft of either your humorous essay or suspense piece.  Choose whichever one you like the best.
• Begin creating an outline for your research report and collect sources.  Below is a summary of what we discussed in class this week!

Collecting Sources

The second question most students ask assigned a report is, “How many sources do I need?”  (The first question is always, “How long does it need to be?”)  A good rule of thumb is about one source for every page or two depending on the availability of information.

Sources can be divided into two main categories:  primary and secondary.  A primary source is one written or recorded by someone at the time of the event.  Historic diaries, political memoranda, and, today, YouTube videos are examples of primary sources.  Secondary sources are books, papers, movies, and articles compiled by someone not involved in the event often at a distance of time.  Both of these types of sources are useful in writing a report.

Primary sources capture the details, impressions and emotions, even, of someone who experienced, saw, or was involved in a specific event.  Pepys’ Diary is an invaluable primary source for a paper about the fire of London.  An interview of a WWII pilot’s contribution to Guadalcanal would be a primary source about Guadalcanal.  A collection of an author’s letters, or drafts of their work are also primary sources.  Letters from an ambassador to his country’s leader describing a particular event or exchange are all primary sources.  

However primary sources do have their limitations.  First, a primary source has a limited view of an event.  A soldier’s account of the Battle of Gettysburg will be limited to the part(s) of the battle in which he was involved.  Second, a primary source is often biased .  For example, the Spanish ambassador to Henry VIII’s court  gives a flattering report of Queen Katherine and a disparaging account of Anne Boleyn.  Obviously, the man wants to keep his job!

Secondary sources are information collected by someone not directly involved in a particular event.  Secondary sources include books, magazines, journals, and documentaries.  Stephen Hawking’s discussion of the beginning of the world would be a secondary source, as he was not present when the world was formed :-), and David Bloom’s criticisms of Shakespeare  are secondary sources.  He never spoke directly with Shakespeare about the meaning of certain passages, or the imagery in Macbeth.   Since the authors of secondary sources were not part of the event they are discussing, they are often able to present a broader point of view.  A scholar of Ancient Rome is able to more fully explain Julius Caesar’s campaign in Gaul than one of his legionnaires.  Likewise, a modern literary critic is more fully able to explain the impact of Darwinism on Jack London than London may have been able to himself.

Secondary sources also have their weaknesses.  Many secondary sources are written to prove a particular point.  Once you are aware of a source’s bias, you can accurately interpret the information.  Secondary sources are dependent upon the scholarship of the author.  Auntie Murial may have an opinion about everything, but since she’s never left Hoboken, NJ, she hasn’t read a book in 20 years, doesn’t listen to the news or watch television, and dropped out of school in the third grade, she’s probably not the best source of information about Ramses III.     

So, how do I know what is a good source?

• Look at the author.  Is the author of the book or article a recognized expert in his field?  By what institution are they employed?  (A Harvard professor is a better source than a teacher at a community college.)  If you don’t know off hand, the author’s biographical information  on the back cover, back flap or at the end of the article is helpful as is a quick Google search!)

• Look at the publisher.  Is it published by a recognized academic institution?  Oxford University Press or Eardmans are usually a better choice than, say, We Publish Anything Press. 

• Look at the date.  This is especially important for scientific information.  Newer secondary sources are often considered more accurate than older ones.  The same does not necessarily hold true for historical or literary sources.

What about internet sources?

The same criteria for books applies to internet sources as well.  However, also keep in mind…

• The website.  Aunt Murial’s Homepage is a less credible source than the Smithsonian Institute’s Website.

• The URL ending.  A .com site can be any old site.  A .edu site is an educational (usually a college or university) site.  If you don’t know anything else about the credibility of the host of the site, you can more safely guess that an educational site is a good source!