Oliver Wendell Holmes Library

 

history 200 - modern slavery

Teachers: ms. frey & mr. henningsen & ms. ainsworth

Librarian: David Hegarty

Term/Year: fall 2006

National Geographic Article

New York Times Magazine article

 

Get Organized!

Gather Information

Use the Information

Take Time to Reflect


1. Get Organized!

Before you begin your research follow these crucial steps:

1.       Understand the assignment.

Questions to get you started.

2.       Choose a broad topic or area of interest.

Need help choosing a topic?

3.       Get an overview of the topic.

Where to find good overviews.

4.       Narrow the topic.

Get focused!

5.       Write a thesis statement or statement of purpose.

Statement of Purpose/Essential Question /Thesis Statement
Tips for developing a thesis statement. (from Joyce Valenza's Online Lessons and Activities)

Plan your time wisely. Try the OWHL's Planning Assignment Calculator (adapted from the University of Minnesota’s QuickStudy: Library Research Guide). This tool will help you set deadlines for yourself so that you can complete the entire project on time.

2. Gather Information

Definitions of frequently confused concepts are just a click away: Helpful Explanations.

There is no one perfect source. The best source for you depends on your particular information need. This discussion of Choosing the Right Sources can save you time by helping you to match your information need with one or more source types.

Don’t forget to capture the information you will need for your bibliography the first time you use each source. Use these handy forms for collecting all the data elements you will need.

Here's a list of selected specialized reference books (available in the Garver Room) you may want to consider:

Ref 301 EN21 Encyclopedia of Sociology
Ref 305.362 B19n New Slavery
Ref 306.3 R61c Chronology of World Slavery
Ref 323 L26e Encyclopedia of Human Rights Issues since 1945
Ref 331.3 H65c Child Labor; A World History Companion
Ref 973.04 En19 Encyclopedia of African-American culture and history

The reference books will give you an overview of your subject; check the bibliographies for further information. Remember to use cross references, indexes, and tables of contents to help you locate information.

Desk Reserve Books:

To see the materials on desk reserves please CLICK HERE , and then search for History 200. For other books check the catlogs below and / or try some of these suggested searches:



Search a library catalog if you have a title or subject in mind. Plan ahead as books that are requested from NOBLE libraries take about 3 days to arrive and books from outside of our consortium can take more than a week.
The OWH Library Catalog

Finding Journal Articles:

OWHL Subscription Database(s) best suited to your project.

A TO Z LIST OF DATABASES

Opposing Viewpoints A complete one-stop source for information on social issues.


Selected Websites

American Anti-Slavery Group
http://www.iabolish.com/index.htm
Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/
Anti-Slavery International
http://www.antislavery.org/
Anti-Slavery Society
http://www.anti-slaverysociety.addr.com/toc.htm
BBC - Slavery in the 21st Century
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/world/slavery/default.stm
Brandeis University Contemporary Slavery
http://www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/formsofslavery.html
Free the Slaves
http://www.freetheslaves.net/
Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/
ILOU International Labor Organization of the United Nations Child Labor Website
http://www.us.ilo.org/teachin/ilokids/index.cfm
OneWorldNetwork
http://www.oneworld.net/article/view/32211/
U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2003/
United Nations High Commission on Human Rights
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/isslav.htm
Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Americas: A Visual Record
http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/index.html


With any source, remember to look at it critically. Check out Evaluating the Sources for more information.


3. Use the Information

Now that you’ve found your resource material, follow these steps to get the most out it.

    1. Locate information within the source.
    2. Organize, Organize!
    3. Take notes.
    4. Avoid plagiarism! (Plagiarism/Copyright) (Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting (from Joyce Valenza's Online Lessons and Activities))

As you work, remember to create a bibliography or works cited page using the citation style specified by your teacher for this assignment: Turabian style. Additionally, you may try REFWORKS to create and produce your bibliography in Turabian style. Click here to go to REFWORKS. Note: REFWORKS can only be used from on-campus computers.

The first time you access this product you will have to create a personal account. Then track all of your research needs with this one source!

 

For more information, go the citing your sources section of the library's homepage

The next step is to bring structure to your notes by creating an outline.

You’ve now reached the stage where you’re ready to pull everything together into a finished product. Write your paper, prepare your oral report, put together your PowerPoint presentation. Don’t forget to proofread!

4. Take time to reflect.

Are you satisfied with your efforts and outcome? If not, be sure to review this process thoroughly before your next assignment. Make an appointment with an Instructional Librarian as soon as you receive your assignment to make sure that you get off on the right track next time.


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© Phillips Academy 1999
Last Update November 16, 2006