Introduction to Part II
Welcome to Part II of the Research Assignment for HIST 105. In Part I you used contemporary primary sources (an e-newspaper article) and tertiary sources (encyclopedias) to help select and learn about your chosen contemporary issue. You analyzed these sources, learned how to properly cite such sources, and used them to create initial research questions.
In Part II, you will begin to investigate the historical roots of that contemporary issue using secondary sources. More specifically, you'll be locating a monograph, or full-length book.
After you've completed Part II, your instructor or your teaching assistant will reassess your topic in light of your monograph selection and comment on your revised research question.
Library Help
Each database search in the assignment (e.g., Lexis-Nexis) is demonstrated for you in a short video tutorial on the Roots of Contemporary Issues Libguide. Review the tutorials before trying your search. If you have still have questions, or need help, contact a librarian.
Part II - Secondary Source Analysis: Monographs
Below are three short guides that help you learn about the differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Consult them as necessary.
- Borough of Manhattan Community College = note the specific examples
- Florida Gulf Coast University = note the gray literature examples
1. Locating Monographs (Books)
As you might imagine, monographs are considerably longer and often more broadly focused than newspaper articles or encyclopedia entries. More and more books are becoming available electronically through the WSU Libraries; check with your instructor about whether or not you can use ebooks for this assignment.
Perform a search in Search It (WSU's central book database) from the Libraries' Homepage. Type in your keyword(s) or phrase(s) in the search box. Refine your results to "Books" (see left side limiters). If you are retrieving too many irrelevant books, change your search from "Any" to "in the title" in the advanced search interface. IMPORTANT: Your book must centrally address pre-1970 history related to your topic / research question(s). It must be published within the past 25 years in order to ensure that it addresses recent scholarship.
Search It contains 100s of millions of records. It labels a large amount of its holdings as "books" even though many are not technically books. Books, as appropriate for this assignment, include (but are not limited to) items published by popular or university presses. Avoid items published by government agencies (considered primary sources), unpublished dissertations, materials available on microform, and material labeled "continually updated sources." [see Part II Tutorials]
Additionally, you should also avoid tertiary sources, including encyclopedias. For definitions and examples of tertiary sources, consult the Wisconsin and Florida sources above.
In the box below, provide the correct Chicago-style bibliographic citation for a book. Note differences between single- and multi-authored books.
Gould, W. Hindu nationalism and the language of politics in late colonial India. Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge, 2004.
2.Get a Copy of Your Book
If you're going to use a book for research, then simply having the record and a brief description of it won't be sufficient. For this assignment, you will need to obtain a physical copy of the book itself, unless you find an appropriate ebook.
In the space below, enter the library location (e.g., Holland/Terrell Libraries) and call number (e.g., HD34 .B338) for your book from the "Available at" information bar or under the "Get It" link. For electronic books, enter the Alma record number (see the "Details" link).
Also, take note as to whether the book is currently checked out, missing, at a different WSU campus, or if it is not available at WSU (no library location and call number listed), but only retrievable through a free Summit or WorldCat request. Look under the "WorldCat via Alma" or "Get It" for information about interlibrary loan options. Note that these options take from 4-7 working days before you can pick up your book at your local WSU campus library. WSU Online students can have books mailed to your home (see the WSU Online Campus LibGuide). You will want to use local and currently available books if you don’t have that much time to complete this assignment. Also, it is important to remember that all material checked out from the WSU Libaries must be returned or renewed on time or fines and fees will be assessed. Check your online account in Search It to determine your due dates and to renew, or ask at any WSU Libraries' circulation desk. [see Part II Tutorials]
In the space below, enter the “interlibrary loan request number” if you ordered your book through Summit or WorldCat/ILLiad and it consequently does not have a local library location and call number.
3.Identifying Relevant Information from Your Book
In the space below, write a paragraph of at least three (3) sentences that describes three pertinent facts, theories or other "chunks" of information that will help you better understand your topic and/or answer one or both of your research questions.
India follows a common law system, which seems to have been strongly influenced by the British common law—almost the entire country was a British Colony 64 years ago. The practice of adopting the common law system is characteristic of all members of The Commonwealth of Nations, which an organization of countries that were British colonies at some point in history (. However, what makes this country interesting for this research is the influence of religions on the country’s law, since the country houses a substantial population of all the major religions of the world as well as some minor ones. This makes the family law system complex, and given the gender inequality problems of the country, studying its legal system is important, as it is interesting. Moreover, the country also has a unique legal definition of secularism; that is, religion and the state are not separate factor, but closely associated. Since the research question was that “democracy is as an idealistic concept in the post-colonial world, where lack of autonomy for the state from ethnic and religious interests has hampered the progress of the state,” it is important to understand how the legalities in the nation help or dissuade the establishment of a democracy. This book helps in doing so. Consequently, this paper attempts to analyze the success of democracy establishment by reviewing factors associated with corrections & punishment, women and crime, etc.
The most prominent aspect of the country’s correction and punishment system is its adherence to capital punishment. Although India follows the human rights laws as stated by the United Nations, it refuses to change its stance on capital punishment. This is has under intense debate of late, with some executions and death sentences—Ajmal Kasab, 21-year-old terrorist responsible for Mumbai, 2006 terroristic attacks; four rapists that brutally gang raped and killed a young girl;—that have been under scrutiny domestically as well as internationally. It is being stated that the country might be using the death penalty as a quick-fix solution for its crime problem, and the long wait for death penalty convicts is a form of extended suffering. Women and Crime: This is again a very prominent topic with the problem of sexual crimes that have made it to the headlines. The country has recently issued a stringent anti-rape law, but this problem is goes deep, with issues like poverty and illiteracy at its core. Moreover, gender discrimination is also based in the traditional system, where a caste system, arranged marriages, and dowry——are rampantly practiced. Juvenile justice: The fact that a 17-year-old boy was in the public attention for committing a brutal rape and murder has brought the juvenile justice system under focus. The question being asked is, should young offenders, above a certain age, be prosecuted as adults, given the large number of crimes perpetrated by young criminals in the nation.
4.Revising Your Research Questions
Go back into Part I (access using the blue submission link in the upper right corner) and cut and paste your research questions here so that you have them on hand. Also, copy any comments from your instructor or teaching assistant. Then write a more refined single research question. If you substantially changed your topic, be sure to note it below.
Can it be said that India is a democratic state if free speech, corrections and punishment system, and women and crime are factors defining democracy?
