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.I am still unsure of primary sources.If youhave suggestions or guidance, please let me know.1Several points stand out in this first conversation:■The prospectus is informal.It reflects only the researcher’s interest in socialand urban history.■The researcher seeks to blend the research in more than one course bydrawing upon previous knowledge and connecting class requirements.■The topic is broad and amorphous.The researcher suggests some preliminaryquestions.The prospectus does not, however, have a clear focus.Theresearcher wants to know more about towns and their citizens in a designatedtime period without specifying much detail about particular communities,categories of individuals, or social practices.■The researcher makes some rudimentary observations about the availabilityof evidence to illustrate that the proposal is feasible.The prospectus does1Jack Sheehan, ‘‘Prospectus’’ e-mail, 10 September 2002.His paper will be followed throughthe research and writing process.Other examples of student work will also be used toillustrate specific points.20C H A P T E R 2offer sufficient information to guide initial thinking as the researcher beginsto search for primary and secondary sources.It is important to have a peer orcolleague review the prospectus and provide constructive suggestions aboutpossible future directions of the topic.By reviewing one’s own work andincorporating the suggestions of others, the topic can be further refined.Such conversations should immediately precede a comprehensive search forsources because they provide researchers with a basic vocabulary about thetopic and some insights into the kinds of materials necessary.They shouldalso continue as the research proceeds as the questions may change.The prospectus and the resulting conversations are comparable to studying aroad map before beginning a journey.The prospectus provides a general idea ofdirection; however, like any road map, once the trip is taken, new routes and pos-sibilities may be identified and the original route modified.Similarly, as questions.Once the trip is in progress however, the driver often identifies alternative routesand spots to be avoided become more refined, it is time to begin a careful, sys-tematic search for sources to find as many materials as possible about the topic.This literature search is the research trail.R E S E A R C H T R A I LA research trail is the systematic identification and collection of all relevant materials available in print and online necessary to conduct scholarly research on a par-ticular topic.The research trail not only involves an exhaustive search for sources; itoffers knowledge and awareness of the topic that is fundamental in shaping it.Sincehistorical accuracy depends upon corroboration of evidence, locating every poten-tial source that might shed light on the topic is important.To avoid embarrassingomissions, successful researchers should follow a careful research trail and list allpossible resources.Some of the materials listed in an original trail may be subse-quently discarded once particular items are evaluated and compared; yet, the firstexamination of the literature should be as full as the careful researcher can makeit.Since new sources of information appear regularly, the trail is not a static search.Successful researchers check for more updated materials to add to their lists as theproject unfolds.Appendix A contains a guide that annotates some of the basicresources used to conduct a research trail.The materials can be found in most aca-demic libraries, but, of course, some libraries house larger collections than others.The research trail is a multi-step process that proceeds from locating the mostgeneral guides to historical materials to the more specific works that lead to theidentification of primary and secondary sources pertaining to the paper topic.The research trail has four purposes:■It helps the historian become familiar with the major reference works in history.■It enables researchers to compile lists of materials for the specific researchproject.This is especially important since it helps researchers to betterunderstand what has already been written about a topic and how their ownwork might consider new questions or add nuances.L O C A T I N G T H E S O U R C E S21■It provides a working list of materials to be read and analyzed for the projectand a rationale for their selection over others.■It offers information that helps narrow the research topic and frame new questions.The steps in the research trail are comparable to a tool box that includes all ofthe necessary research tools.Some ‘‘tools’’ may never be explicitly used; however,researchers never know what tools they may need.It is always better to have aspecial wrench that may seldom be used than to need a certain kind and nothave it among your tools.Familiarity with the appropriate research tools is essen-tial to completing the project
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