NCEA 3.1 Guide

NCEA 3.1 Plan and carry out independent historical research

STUDENT GUIDE

HISTORY AND HOLLYWOOD

2011

MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Task One: Identify and define an area for historical research ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Not Achieved Achieved Merit Excellence

Minimum standards not met this time

(See excellence) (See excellence) Identify and define an area for historical research

(e.g. “This investigation will examine Operation Barbarossa 1941.. It will aim to discover the strategic objectives of this campaign, and its impact on the respective war efforts of Germany and Russia.”)

Exemplar 3/1- C Version 2

Identify = give title to the chapter in the children‟s book to Define = explain the aims/focus of the inquiry.

EXPLANATION  The first step in any research is to identify an individual/group, problem, topic, issue, situation, or event from the past that needs to be investigated (for example Hitler, Gallipoli, Apartheid). In this case the WWII film you choose will direct your research  Defining an area of inquiry could involve stating the overall aim of the inquiry CHOOSING A FOCUS - IDENTIFY AN ISSUE OR PROBLEM  Choose a film and topic that is manageable and interesting enough to hold your enthusiasm long enough to complete the project and the 3.2.  Consider something you have watched and enjoy, especially from Level Two. For example, many of you would have watched Schindler‟s List last year. This might be a good choice if you enjoyed it and remembered much of what you learnt about the Holocaust. Familiarity with the topic will make formulating focussing questions and gathering information much easier.  Watch the film closely. Take notes on what the main issue is. You must be able to analyse the film's historical accuracy for 3.2 so make sure you plan a topic that closely relates to the film.  Do some background reading in an area you are interested in to see if your topic is feasible.  It is a good idea to start with general sources (e.g. text, encyclopaedia).

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 Note down the main themes, differing interpretations or controversial issues you find. This may help you design your question(s) and realise if your study is adding anything new to the history on your topic. If the focus of your topic has been extensively researched in the past you may wish to change the focus, or approach it from a new angle, or test your own theory.  Usually you start with an idea, then narrow it down. example:

Theme : Issue

origins of WW2 : cause

 Then you narrow this down further example:

Hitler as a cause of WW2

YOU MIGHT DECIDE TO FORM A HYPOTHESIS (as a title for your chapter)  i.e. something you wish to test / answer / solve example:

Hypothesis: That Hitler was the main cause of WW2

TASK See if you can identify the topic for the following Historical movies. Then use two to three sentences to define a relevant area of research    

Platoon Michael Collins Elizabeth Heavenly Creatures

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MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Formulating Focus Questions ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Not Achieved

Minimum standards not met this time

Achieved

Relevant focus questions

Two relevant focussing questions (more may be provided) (e.g. What did Hitler want to achieve by invading Russia in 1941? How did this campaign affect Germany and Russia?)

Exemplar 3/1- C Version 2 (i.e. questions tend to be of the „descriptive type‟ - what)

Merit

Relevant and significant focus questions

Two relevant and significant focussing questions (more may be provided) (e.g. What were Hitler‟s strategic objectives in invading Russia in 1941? How did the failure of this campaign affect Germany‟s war effort?) [ibid]

(i.e. questions tend to be of the „analytical type‟ – why/how etc. and more focussed on information required) Excellence

Significant and perceptive focus questions

Two significant and perceptive focussing questions (more may be provided) (e.g. How would invading Russia advance Hitler‟s desire for European hegemony? To what extent did the failure of this campaign change the strategic balance of the war?) [ibid]

(i.e. questions tend to be more of the „evaluative type‟ – To what extent / how significant / etc. and require higher level of argument to answer.)

NOTES: (i) Significant questions would scope the topic – i.e. allow you to gather enough information for a balanced coverage of the different parts of topic. The questions as a group should allow for depth (details) and cover the historical settings (time and place). (ii) Perceptive questions would demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the nature of the inquiry you are undertaking, permitting research in greater breadth and/or depth than most questions would allow. Such questions would show you understand the critical „underpinnings‟ – the ability to establish the primary focus (main aim) of your inquiry and its related issues/factors/questions/problems. (i.e. in general these are more likely to be analytical and/or evaluative style questions)

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You should aim for 4 or 5 questions that include a variety of questions from these levels: (i) describe, (ii) analyse, and (iii) evaluate; with at least one evaluative question – something to do with the significance of your topic to history.

EXPLANATION  To write good focus questions you need to have some idea about the topic you are going to do. It is important therefore to DO AT LEAST SOME LIGHT BACKGROUND READING  Questions are formed to give focus to your investigation (called focus questions).

These should be 'open' questions (i.e. requiring more than a yes/no answer for instance).

For example: -

How did Hitler come to power in Germany?

Why did the Anzacs attack Gallipoli?

In what ways did South Africa's policy of Apartheid effect relations with New Zealand?

 A good focus question will contain relevant name(s), date(s), event(s) and/or place(s) as well as the focus (aim) of your enquiry.  The questions should dictate your approach not the resources you find.

Double and triple barrelled questions are NOT appropriate. i.e. do not use questions like: “How and why did Hitler come to power?” should be separated into two questions: “How did Hitler come to power?” and “Why did Hitler come to power?” Questions must be open in order to direct you to sufficient (enough) information.

At Level One you were given between one and four focus questions to investigate and research.

If the assignment was about an event/issue/crisis then the focus questions may have been: What caused the crisis (or event) to develop?

What happened during the crisis (or event)?

What were differing perspectives/responses to the crisis (or event)? i.e. CAUSES, EVENTS, RESULTS – very commonly used as the basis for focus questions (NB!!!)

OR if the assignment is about a person: -

What actions did [INSERT] take which made him/her famous/infamous?

Why did [INSERT] take these actions?

What different views were, or are, held about [INSERT]‟s actions?

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In general questions are likely to be one of the following types: (i)

Describe/List/What/Outline - want you to provide factual details based on evidence e.g. How something is supposed to work (e.g. means of finance)

(ii)

Analyse /Discuss/How/Account for/ Explain why - want you to give reasons based on evidence e.g. Explain problems OR Explain solutions attempted

(iii)

Evaluate /To what extent/Why/How far/How significant - want you to make a decision based on evidence. e.g. The significance of the problem OR The success in dealing with the problems

NOTE: You may wish to MODIFY THE FOCUSSING QUESTIONS in the light of subsequent research. This will be permitted, though by the given date, and the modified questions must be discussed and confirmed with your teacher. Judgement of selection of evidence should be based on the modified questions.

The following are some guidelines on how to construct focus questions.

Keep in mind the purpose of your Special Study. What do you (or the question) want to show?

Good Focus Questions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Will be about people, places, perspectives, events, issues May use “What/Why/How” in the question (Contain levels of difficulty: Describe => analyse => evaluate) Might consider views/reasons, actions/reasons, results of actions/impact Might cover: causes, events/actions, results Are able to be answered (i.e. not too hard) Sources must be available for you to gather information from Must generate historical ideas (for AS3.2) Set parameters (country/era) Use simple wording Scope/cover the topic and the aims of the research (what do you want to know)

Some starter questions to help you could be:       

What happened?

How did it happen?

Why did it happen?

What would happen if ... ?

What guess can we make about?

What are we likely to see when ...?

How can we explain ... ?

 What is the main cause/reason/issue …  What similarities/differences did you see?  What effect did this have?  What should/could have been done?  How important/significant was…?  What succeeded/failed?

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HINTS 1.

List what you want to find out => THEN design questions to get to that information.

2.

You are answering your own focus questions – so do not make them too hard!

3.

It is a GOOD IDEA to write some supplementary questions for each of your focus questions. These are used to direct you to the ideas needed to answer the „big‟ (and general) focus questions.

Example: FQ: Did Hitler cause WW2?

FRAMING SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR RESEARCH Try to think of other questions which you would need to answer to complete the focus question.

In our example, you may ask:      

Who/or what else could be blamed?

Why do we blame Hitler?

Was he the main (i.e. most important) cause?

Do different historians have differing ideas on these issues?

Would WW2 have been likely without Hitler as leader of the Germans?

Was WW2 an inevitable consequence of WW1? etc.

 These will help guide your research by making you think about what you are reading later.  It is a good idea to divide your topic into sub topics. This would usually be based on organising the questions you framed above.  Once you start reading you might need to modify your questions and drop, add, amend, or split sub-topics into two etc. depending on the information you find.  Organise these by grouping similar ideas, and then ranking them in some logical order.

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Example Questions Not Achieved

Minimum standards not met this time

Achieved

Two relevant focussing questions (more may be provided) 1. What caused the fire? What effects did the fire have on Ballantyne‟s?

2. What were the major categories of crime in Tudor-Stuart England? What means of punishment were used by the authorities?

3. What motivated Hadfield to work as a missionary in New Zealand? How did local Maori accept Hadfield?”

Merit

Two relevant and significant focussing questions (more may be provided) 1. What factors combined to cause the fire? What effects did the fire have on Ballantyne‟s future as a business?

2. Why did some groups of people turn to crime in Tudor-Stuart England? Why did the authorities use such harsh punishments on these people?

3. Why did Hadfield establish his ministry in the Kapiti area?

What was the nature of the relationship between Hadfield and local iwi/hapu?”

Excellence

Two significant and perceptive focussing questions (more may be provided) 1. To what extent did the way Ballantyne‟s operate as a business contribute to the fire? What consequences did the fire have on Christchurch and on the issue of fire safety in New Zealand?

2. What were the major differences in types of crimes that concerned authorities in Tudor-Stuart England? To what extent was punishment effective in managing or eliminating these crimes?

3. What were the circumstances that brought Hadfield to the Kapiti area? How significant was Hadfield‟s relationship with Te Rauparaha in enabling him to establish his ministry in this area”

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MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Planning your Research Not Achieved

Minimum standards not met this time

Achieved

Plan the inquiry in detail  Possible sources identified  A detailed time and management plan is completed

Merit

Plan the inquiry in detail  Possible sources identified  A detailed time and management plan is completed

Excellence

Plan the inquiry in comprehensive detail  Possible sources identified  A comprehensive time and management plan is completed

Identify possible sources.  A possible source is a place where information (evidence) can be found that could help with your research.  Be careful with this task. You are identifying possible sources BEFORE you go and look for them. Giving say the title a book and author (e.g. Attack on Gallipoli by J. Smith) is not appropriate because you were not supposed to have been to the library yet!  You should aim for a WIDE RANGE of possible sources (from the list of categories below). e.g. of at least 3 types, primary and secondary and make clear statements about what type of information that might be expected from each source (e.g.

"Textbook: to give factual information on the events concerning the Treaty") It is desirable that you show an understanding of how a source might be helpful in conducting your inquiry. e.g. People you could interview Vs Useful information they may have.

At level three a more detailed statement of potential usefulness should be expected, not just one or two word comments. You need to carefully explain what areas in the source will help with the focus question(s) and the particular type of information that can be found.

It is important to consider which sources will provide the evidence that will answer your focus question(s). If the Treaty of Versailles was your topic being investigated then it would not be likely that someone who was at the Conference would still be alive for you to contact, but their views or opinions might be in a newspaper article produced at the time.

EXERCISE ONE. 9

MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Task A focus question for an assignment was given as "Why did the Anzacs attack Gallipoli?"

The following four responses are from students explaining what information can be expected from each source. Read each and comment on the effectiveness of the explanation indicating the type of information expected from the source.

A. Book on Gallipoli from the school library

This source will provide information on the Gallipoli attack

B. Newspaper 1915

This source will provide first hand information on the attack. It may be a little biased due to censorship of 1915 and so it is only portrays a one sided view of the attack. May provide some visual evidence

C. Internet site on Gallipoli

Provide details on who, what, when, where, why and how.

D. Library

This will provide me with access to a range of Gallipoli sources. I need to go to the historical section to find encyclopaedias, biographies, and general histories, while the vertical file may have newspaper articles. Our library also has internet access. The library also has a New Zealand section that may have some primary sources such as diaries from men who fought in the battle.

Time Management Plan i.e. Provide a sequenced list of dates and tasks to be carried out to ensure the completion of this activity (Sometimes called a Research log)  Every stage of your Special Study should be planned in advance - a Time Management Plan (if your keep to it!) will ensure the assignment is completed within the set time.  This should be a diary of your research: what you did, how/where you found your information; the problems or difficulties you had; and any breakthroughs you made.  It should list all the activities (the stated task etc.), and anything else you would carry out and any steps that you will take during your research. For example, if you wish to hold an interview how will you go about this? Will you consult books about interview techniques, ask your teacher about it, how will you formulate your questions to ask, and when? Will you transcribe the interview?  Keep in mind you will need to work around other commitments - other subjects, sports, leisure etc.  To work within a time limit; requests for material from distant sources must be dealt with first, and allowances should be made for the material not arriving on time.

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   

e.g. material sent away for from other libraries; government departments; companies, individuals, etc.

Interviews or surveys should be arranged well in advance so that you have time to prepare questions before hand.

Anticipate problems for example - not being able to find material, of finding too much material. Be prepared to revise your plans along the way.

You may like to put the milestones (dates you want to finish certain task by) on a calendar.

We do not expect you to stick to a rigid timetable. This is more about whether you understand the various tasks required to be completed in order to meet the time limit available.

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MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Task Two: Gather, select and record relevant historical information Not Achieved

Minimum standards not met this time

Achieved

Gather, select and record relevant historical evidence from a range of sources A folder containing: Information gathered from a range of identified sources

Merit

Gather, select and record relevant and important historical evidence from a range of sources A folder containing: Information gathered from a range of identified sources

Excellence

Demonstrate initiative to gather, select and record relevant and important historical evidence from a range of sources A folder containing: Information gathered from a wide range of identified sources, which demonstrates initiative in locating potentially useful sources beyond the obvious, or perseverance with difficult sources

Explanatory Notes

Initiative in research includes: -

Independence and resourcefulness in accessing appropriate sources. (e.g. in accessing less obvious sources without specific direction form teacher) Taking a fresh and innovative approach.

Willingness to access sources which are not readily available.

Perseverance in using difficult sources (e.g. complex language, legibility of evidence, reference to unfamiliar concepts, etc.)

Gather Information  Once you have identified possible sources then you will need to go and collect items of information (evidence) that relate to your topic and focus question(s). You may also think of other sources as your research progresses.  There is no quantity given for how many sources you should gather, but the number should be SUFFICIENT: “enough” sources to answer the focus questions well.  You are usually expected to gather a variety of different types of evidence from a variety of sources.  It is important that you gather and USE information from a wide range of available

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 sources - the range is more important than the number.  It is a good idea to be careful to pick a range of types, and some that were helpful, some not so helpful – so it can be seen you understand the difference in AS2.1.5.  Items of evidence from a source that you could take notes from could include: quotes, an interview extracts from books, photographs, statistics, pictures etc.

They can be in the form of photocopies, print-outs, hand-written notes/copies, sketches, etc.

NOTE: The 2002 National Moderator‟s report (on Level One) stated: “Students gather historical information before they select the relevant historical evidence that relates to their focus questions. Student work for assessment … should include all the information that they have gathered, not just the selected evidence.” Gathering information is an important part of the research process so it would be a good idea to include everything you gathered, not just those sources you „select‟ information from.

Of course, all the information you gathered should contain some relevant ideas to answer the focus question(s).

Strategies for using sources to gather information.

In general:  SKIM READ (i.e. read quickly): start with the brief/general accounts to get main ideas quickly.  Then go to more detailed/sophisticated accounts e.g. from encyclopaedia entry on WW1 and Gallipoli, to books on WW1 with a chapter on Gallipoli, to books just on Gallipoli.  Use key words (words to do with your topic) to 'unlock' the information you are looking for. You can use these as a starting point and look these up in the indexes and catalogues, and then skim those pages for those key words.  The same approach can be used in Computer databases in their word searches etc.

Libraries  Start with the catalogue which is usually computerised. You need to enter either a title, author, or subject/key word. Most of the time you would start with a key word search and it will display sources available for the topic being researched.  Read the details about each source. It will explain where the source is held, subjects covered in the source, and other details such as page number, date of publication, ISBN number etc. Check that the source will have information relevant to your research.

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Written sources This should be you major source of information. You do not need to read whole books or even chapters to get the information you want. Look at the contents page and index to find the relevant areas of the book. When you have found an appropriate section skim read that section paying attention to: - titles and headings - the first sentence of a paragraph usually outlines what key ideas are being covered - key words you need to investigate (i.e. to 'unlock' where you should be looking whether on a page or in the index - conclusions - visuals and captions Internet  This is another important source of information and can be a good research tool.

You should use it AFTER written sources. Make sure you check the credentials of the author - otherwise you may end up using a primary school students essay or someone who is very biased.  Use search engines like Google, Alta Vista, Ask Jeeves etc. to locate sources using key words and phrases  It is usually better to use engines that sort the sources into files e.g. Dogpile  Relevant sites will be indicated. Check the details and information contained in each site to see if it is suitable.  When evaluating a site check the following: ease of access; ease to navigate around the site; do you need special software to use it?; is the source reputable? accurate? relevant?  Pick out the 'best' sites to use first.

Oral Sources  Sometimes you may be asked to carry out an interview as part of you research. If you know of someone who would be a good source of information their is nothing stopping you carrying out an interview even if you do not have to.  You should let the interviewee tell their story. To do this well you need to be prepared, do this by: -

choosing an appropriate person to interview organise a date, time and place to carry out the interview have good knowledge about your subject before starting the interview (i.e. interviews should be carried out after other sources such as books) make sure your tape recorder/video camera and other equipment is working properly and take extra batteries to the interview. have questions ready that are 'open' - allowing the person to tell a story rather than give one word/sentence answers. (Usually they will start with "What...", "Why...", "How... " etc.)

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Select Information You will need to decide how you are going to collect and then record your evidence. As you gathered the information you should have been asking yourself “which bits are useful” i.e relevant, that is what you would select.

Your information may be in the form of: - hand written notes - photocopied information - Print-outs from CD-ROMs and internet sites If you wrote notes you automatically SELECTED information. It is important you summarise the information in your words. This will ensure the relevant information appropriate for the topic is RECORDED. Try to be brief and to the point.

It is important to record the details of the source as you use them. This is a much better idea than trying to go back and find the source again later on.

It has become traditional to gather information by printing pages from written sources.

To show that the selection of relevant evidence has taken place you must highlight the SELECTED EVIDENCE in some way that shows which Focusing Question it relates to.

This could be done by:  a bar/line in margin beside the information (WITH links/notes about which FQ it relates to etc.)  using different coloured highlighters for different focus questions  underlining the relevant ideas You MUST make notes in the margin to indicate what the key idea is in the highlighted passage and which focus question it refers to.

The 2002 National Moderator‟s report stated that students must clearly indicate the selected information (in the above ways) to show how the information answers the focus question(s). “Pages indiscriminately filled with coloured highlighter however, are not an indication that the selection has been carefully carried out” There is no one correct method for constructing notes. The best method will be the style that suits you. It is not advisable to write essay-style notes from a source. When you are taking notes from the sources it would helpful for Achievement Standard 3.2 to identify key ideas (a generalization) with supporting details and evidence,. A suitable format would be either one page (or pages) from each source or one page for each idea (the latter would allow you to re-collate all your sheets on one idea/focus question together later).

In table format: Focus Question = …

SOURCE: Pugsley, C. Anzac: The New Zealanders at Gallipoli; Hodder Moa beckett, 1995, p66

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Key ideas e.g. survival depended on a soldiers ingenuity

supporting evidence • invention of periscope on rifles • no ammunition so made tin bombs etc.

2 ...

Recording Information HOW TO RECORD THE DETAILS OF A SOURCE OF INFORMATION (i) Primary Sources.

•

Newspapers: e.g.

New Zealand Herald, 29 November 1949 Or if you were using newspaper over a long period of time: e.g.

New Zealand Herald, 1960-1975.

•

Government Papers – published: e.g.

New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, vol. 62 (1965)

•

Government Papers – unpublished: e.g.* Provincial Secretary, Inward Correspondence, 1854-1876, Canterbury Provincial Archives, Canterbury Museum

•

Pamphlets: e.g.* [Torlesse, Henry], An Appeal to the Women of New Zealand, Christchurch, 1864 (The author's name is in square brackets because his name was not on the pamphlet)

•

Manuscript sources: e.g.* Eliza Busby to Marianne Williams, 4 February 1837, Busby Papers, MS 24, Auckland Institute and Museum Library e.g.* Margaret Ann Magnell, 'Memoirs, Family History', MISC MS 205, Hocken Library

•

Oral interviews: e.g.* Interview with Martha Harrison, Rangiora, 7 May 1993 (tape in author's possession)

(ii) Secondary Sources • It is necessary to give: a) author's surname and initials

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b) c) d) e) •

title of the book (either underlined or in italics) place of publication – the city, followed by a colon (:) then the publisher – followed by a comma, then the date (year) of publication – followed by a full stop.

Books: e.g.

e.g.

Graves, M.A.R. and Frood, J., Change, Conflict, and Crisis: England 1558 1660's. Auckland: Macmillan Publishers N.Z. Ltd, 1996.

Labrum, B Women's History - A Short Guide to Researching and Writing Women's History in New Zealand, Bridget Williams Books and Historical Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs: Wellington, 1993.

NOTE: Works used should be listed according to author's surname in alphabetical order.

A book that has an editor: e.g.

Ehrlich, A., ed. When I was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 1996.

A book without an author: e.g.

Mobile Travel Guide, Southeast. New York: Fodor‟s Travel Publication, 1997.

•

Articles in Journals or magazines: (the title of the article is listed before the title of the book) e.g.* Labrum, Bronwyn, 'Looking Beyond the Asylum: Gender and the Process of Committal in Auckland, 1870-1910', New Zealand Journal of History, Vol. 26, No. 2, October 1992.

An article in a book without an author: e.g.

“Fiji.” The World Fact Book. Central Intelligence Agency: Washington, 1997.

•

Encyclopedia and other reference books: (An encyclopedia article may or may not have an author. The author‟s name can be found at the end of the article. An article that does have an author is called a “signed article” e.g. Sutherland, Z., “Literature For Children.” World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 12.

Chicago: World Book, 1997.

•

Chapters or entries in books: e.g.* O'Donnell, Jean-Marie, "Electric Servants" and the Science of Housework: Changing Patterns of Domestic Work, 1935-1956', in Barbara Brookes, Charlotte Macdonald and Margaret Tennant (eds), Women In History 2, Wellington, 1992

•

Theses (unpublished): e.g.* Dalley, Bronwyn, "Women's Imprisonment in New Zealand, 1880-1920", PhD thesis, University of Otago, 1991.

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•

Electronic sources: Last name, first name of author or editor, Title of Print Version of Work, Edition (if given), Place of publication, Date of publication, Medium (e.g. CD-ROM), Available protocol (if applicable): Site/Path/File. Access date (if applicable).

By citing an author you are increasing the chances of the site being a good one. Better still is to look for footnotes so that the author‟s sources can be checked. e.g. Williams, Peter. England, A Narrative History. http://www.britannia.com/history/narrefhist3.html, Friday 20 August 1999. e.g. Monaco, J.E., “When the Diabetic Child is Hospitalized.” Pediatrics for Parents.

Volume 17, Issue 1:6. HealthSource Version 5.0, CD-ROM. Ebsco. 1996.

•

Videocassettes, films, filmstrips: The title of the videocassette is listed first. The person who is credited on the box (the director, host, or narrator) is listed second. The type of media (a videocassette, film, or filmstrip) is listed next. The publisher and the year published are listed last. e.g. Inside the Whitehouse. Hosted by President and Mrs. Bush. Videocasette. MPI Home Video, 1990.

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Task Three: Evaluate the effectiveness of the research process Not Achieved

Minimum standards not met this time

Achieved

Evaluate ASPECTS of the effectiveness of the research process An evaluation that makes thoughtful comments about some aspects of the research process. (e.g. Comments concerning personal organisation, problems with defining area of investigation, focussing questions too narrow

Merit

Evaluate the effectiveness of the research process An evaluation that makes thoughtful comments about the overall research process, including some consideration of issues associated with the nature of evidence and/or sources. (e.g. Comments concerning personal organisation, problems with defining area of investigation, focussing questions too narrow, insufficient evidence for one or more focussing questions, evidence, evidence derived from one particular area or viewpoint).

Excellence

Evaluate the effectiveness of the research process FROM THE HISTORIAN’S PERSPECTIVE that:  suggests issues associated with the nature the evidence selected (e.g. evidence about battle from perspective of mostly one combatant)  suggests issues associated with the sources of evidence (e.g. very little primary evidence available – mostly secondary evidence from older historical works)  makes perceptive comments about the research process (e.g. difficulty in interpreting writers’ intentions due to complex military jargon, challenges in synthesising evidence from different sources).

Evaluating could include: -

Identifying the relevance and usefulness of evidence to the focussing questions.

Identifying successes and difficulties in conducting the inquiry, and reasons why.

Expressing enjoyment, personal growth and satisfaction of carrying out the inquiry.

Identifying issues to consider in future research.

Reference to refining and revision of their inquiry as the process unfolded.

Evaluation from the historian‟s perspective includes: -

Weighing the value and reliability of evidence and sources.

Identifying weaknesses and strengths in completed research.

Establishing future directions for research on the selected topic.

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An evaluation COULD include: (i)

Identification of relevant links between the usefulness of the sources and the focusing questions (including limitations of evidence or issues about reliability of sources). Commenting on the most/least useful sources you have selected.  Show how some items that were useful and some that were not very useful at all (to show you know the difference!)  Say which evidence was the most useful and why

(ii)

Consideration of the sufficiency i.e. as a whole, or individually, was there enough information to answer the focus questions well? Ideas supported by evidence (i.e. proof of the historians conclusions?)

(iii)

Validity of resources used „Valid‟ as in relevant (the item did contain ideas that answer the focus question(s), and „valid‟ in terms of the historical information being biased or outdated etc.)

(iv)

Availability (could you get the books etc. you wanted/needed; was there enough information available about your person/topic) and adequacy of information (see „sufficiency‟)

(v)

Identification of successes and difficulties in conducting the inquiry, and reasons why.

(vi)

Evidence of refining and revision of the inquiry as the process unfolds (e.g. making changes to the focus questions – explaining the suitability of your questions and the process you went through to come up with them)

(vii)

Evidence of enjoyment, personal growth and satisfaction in carrying out the inquiry

(viii) -

Identification of issues to consider for future inquiries suggest way(s) in which your research process could be improved including advice offered to someone who might be undertaking such research in the future What additional evidence that you did not have would have been helpful in doing this assignment.

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If the evaluation was to be done during class time (like a test) then you should at least plan Or even do a model answer this prior to the „test‟.

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MGC HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Task Analyse each of the following examples of student evaluation of the usefulness of evidence. Comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the evaluation.

1. Student A. It was not as useful as expected but it did have good detail on focus question one, but did not answer the second focus question.

2. Student B. This resource was extremely helpful in establishing the results of the Treaty of Versailles. (FQ3).

3. Student C. This textbook provided some good information on the Treaty of Versailles. It was a secondary source, and had a wide range of resources, both written and visual accompanying it. However the text itself was very shallow - not going into much detail. But as a general outline of the Treaty (FQ2) and its effects (FQ3), this text was very good as it outlined many of the key articles and the consequences and reaction to the Germans and French.

4. Student D. It was extremely useful in the amount of information it gave me; it also has detailed maps of the battle and helped show why the English won.

5. Student E. It was an extended history of WW1 so it was very useful in giving the aims of the Allies at the Treaty (FQ1).

The book gave great detail of German opinion on the Treaty. The book finished after detailing the Treaty of Versailles (FQ2), but provide no evidence of the results (FQ3). There was a large amount of factual evidence from primary sources that backed up by the author's in-depth opinions. However, it was biased as there was not a balance of the different views on the Treaty. Sympathy was given to the German view as the source was written from the German point of view by a German author.

6. Student F. This internet site was pretty useless. half the poem was just random.

7. Student G. This book is a secondary source and gave a detailed overview of Hobson's life until he became Governor. It especially went into detail about his early life in Ireland and his career in the British Navy (FQ1). Chapter 3 provided good primary quotes from Hobson on his experience while at sea. It also helped provide evidence for the focus question on his background by explaining how and why he came to be appointed to New Zealand.

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