#2
I met with my adviser on Tuesday, and we worked out a schedule for the semester. We’re going to meet every other week, at which point I’ll submit a write-up of my research notes from the past two weeks. These notes will be in paragraph form, so there is a definite possibility that parts of these write-ups will actually end up in my thesis. This will help me “weed out” the notes… determine what is, and isn’t applicable. This will also help me focus my argument.
This week I focused on expanding my bibliography. I’ve found some additional secondary sources. My adviser suggested I pick up some sources that discuss Western History (in a more general sense) to help me place women and the Dust Bowl in a broader historical context. I have also found some great secondary sources through the America: History and Life database and have requested them through ILL… so now I’m anxiously awaiting their arrival. I would also like to find some additional primary sources. The source I am most excited about is in a library currently under renovation… and the documents will not be available until “late fall.” (A specific reopening date is currently unknown.) I plan to visit the library as soon as it opens, but I’d love to find additional primary sources… especially in case that one source doesn’t work out. (At this point I’m afraid the library won’t reopen early enough for me to use the source.) My primary sources currently consist mostly of journals and letters, as well as some essays from the time, and I hope to expand that to include newspaper and magazine articles and other such documents. Overall, though, I’m pretty content with my bibliography at this point.
I haven’t had as much time as I would like to work on my research isnce classes began. Now that the semester is starting to settle (and I have much fewer meetings to attend) I will be able to devote large chunks of time to my research, which I am really excited about.
Also, I would just like to say that I am in love with the “America: History and Life” database.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Hey, that’s a great idea about doing small write-ups every week on your notes. I wish I’d done that this summer while I was in Montreal. Also, don’t forget: both the History Department and the Charles Center offer small research grants during the school year for travel to archives etc. The History one has a DEADLINE! The Charles Center is a rolling application, but I’d get it in by the middle to end of October for consideration of a project you’ll likely do over Winter Break.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
You are composing yourself really well, considering the inaccessibility of the sources you need. I know I would not be nearly as calm. I think you have a great array of primary sources. Despite our discussion of reliability of sources, I still favor indirect sources like your journals and letters. I absolutely love using journals. You have such a great topic too. Women in the dust bowl/Great Depression is fascinating. It is great that your adviser is pushing your work through bi-weekly write ups. I might start doing that myself. Reading yours and others’ blogs have been really helpful with getting myself on track and more organized. Good luck with your primary sources. I’m sorry that they are inaccessible right now.
September 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I agree that that’s a great way to organize your thoughts and end up with actual written material that can be copied and pasted into a first draft. I think I’m going to start doing that . . . the only problem for me is that if I read with a computer in front of me I always end up on WorldCat expanding my bibliography beyond what I’ll ever be able to handle
What is the inaccessible source?