Water Rites
Research Sample (Humanities)
Plan A - Six Weeks
Step Three: Collecting Background Information
Well, I used the catalog as a tool to narrow down the subject a little, and perhaps found some books I can use to start with, using there bibliographies I can get leads on other sources. I can ask a Reference Librarian if s/he has any suggestions. S/he can usually point me in the right direction if I'm confused.
That's just the start. There are many Social Sciences databases and Arts and Humanities databases that can be searched for related articles, but sometimes that's best to save for after you perused your books, and you have an idea of your more specific needs. Books are good for a background, articles are generally or terribly more specific.
With a lot of lead time, too, there is a good chance to include oral histories or other personal contacts/interviews. Is there someone around who might help me find someone who might know about Coast Salish culture and folklore?
In this case, Evergreen is situated in Coast Salish Indian country, and I know I have the Longhouse Cultural Center to use as a resource. A polite query might get me a contact with a local Native American who might be willing to share some stories. There might not be someone they can recommend, but there might be and there's no better primary source. For example, I could find a way to contact Susan Point, the creator of the carving at the beginning of this section, and ask her if she could share the story behind it. Always be most respectful and be prepared with your Human Subjects Review Application when doing interviews or taking oral histories. Don't pass up a chance to get this sort of primary source information.