Learn to Love History!

What are YOUR research interests? Taking a break from the grind of schoolwork and thinking about your own research interests is a great way to revamp research practices. How quickly can you research and find the lyrics to an old song because you are determined to find the information for a trivia game? Was it the personal connection and memories that bring up strong emotions (whether good or bad) that helped you? Sometimes having incentives like winning a prize at a trivia night can also provide helpful encouragement for finding the answers to a research question. Some might say that searching for the lyrics to a favorite song is not a good example, because it is as simple as performing a search on google. However, I think that picking your favorite song is similar to picking your favorite research topics. Think about your favorite song for a moment. What do you like about it? Is it upbeat, or slow and calming? Does it remind you of a particular person? Usually s

RECIPE For Successful Research! Ready in _____  minutes Ingredients Interesting Topic(s) Bountiful Resources Fresh Perspectives Thoughtful Questions Preparation 1. Choose Your Own Topic.  Consider things that interest you about a particular subject.   2. Create a list of sub-topics to include in your research that support your main thesis. 3. Explore New Perspectives. Brainstorm ways to research a new perspective, point-of-view, or angle for your topic. 4. Compose Thoughtful Research Questions.  Coming up with good research questions will help direct your research. 5. Learn from the Pros! Read what professionals in your field have written about your topic. 6. Set Goals. What do you plan on creating? A paper, a talk or presentation, a poster, etc.? Tips Give your topic a test run. See how many resources you can find within 10-15 minutes for your topic. If you cannot find at least 3-5 good resources, consider another topic.  

Everyone has a different system of taking notes. Students are often taught note-taking practices that were designed for a specific subject and with a specific purpose in mind. While undertaking more of my own research projects, I have adapted various approaches to create a system that works best for me. I took a few moments today while researching to stop and write down a few things that I typically do when taking notes. The tips I have put together for you are aimed at helping researchers overcome obstacles that often come up, such as how to avoid plagiarism and how to keep your notes organized. I hope these tips will help make the research and note-taking process a little easier for you! Source: www.learntolovehistory.com by Ellen Mays

Chicago Style by Ellen Mays

One of the biggest obstacles for those studying historical documents is deciphering old handwriting. Primary sources often take the form of handwritten documents that provide indexers with several hours of work. While many volunteers help make digital historical records available for researchers through websites like FamilySearch.org, it is often useful for researchers to learn how to index and transcribe historical documents on their own. This does not mean that you cannot confer with other researchers. On the contrary, one of the most important steps in the process is checking your work and verifying it with other transcribers. However, learning the skills necessary for reading historical documents will make you a better researcher and historian. Reading Early American Handwriting by Kip Sperry is a great resource for those seeking an overview of the process. Published in 1998, the information and examples included in the book are great resources for anyone reading and transcr