First, you will need to simply read through the following various topics. This is a list of some specific areas of study in the humanities:
Democracy
The American Enlightenment
Poetics
Prehistoric Archaeology
Multicultural Literature
The Italian Renaissance
Normativity
Chicano Literature
Medieval Christianity
The Novel
Comics
African American Literature
Medical Humanities
Next, consider the topics listed above. Of the topics listed, which three seem most interesting to you? Write down the three topics you are interested in or would like to learn more about.
Then, access and view the videos for each topic you are interested in as addressed by the Stanford Humanities Center (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Democracy (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
The American Enlightenment (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Poetics (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Prehistoric Archaeology (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Multicultural Literature (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
The Italian Renaissance (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Normativity (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Chicano Literature (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Medieval Christianity (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
The Novel (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Comics (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
African American Literature (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Medical Humanities (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Finally, you’ll want to narrow your topic choice down to just one of the topics listed above and then follow the instructions provided in the Research Project Instructions page.
Your Humanities Research Project for our class will ask you to review the topics listed above, select one topic and submit a Power Point document according to the instructions provided on the next pages.
The project should include the following sections in this order:
- Title Page
- This is a one-page introductory slide that includes your name, your class, and your project title.
- Table of Contents
- A page that lists each section of your project in order.
- Topic Selection Page
- A page that identifies the one topic you selected from the list provided in the Individual Reflective Project Overview page. Give a brief, one-paragraph summary of the information covered in the video related to your selected topic.
- Topic Research Pages
- A series of, at minimum, three slides that each list one academic source available through the HCC library on your selected topic.
- Each research source you present should address the humanities topic you selected and include a brief (2-4 sentence) explanation/overview/summary of the information contained in the source. You need to find a minimum of three academic sources, total.
- Each source slide should include the source title, author(s), works cited entry, and your summary of the information in the source.
- Find sources using the Conducting Research at HCC page in this module.
- Please note, websites do not count as academic sources. The sources must come from the HCC databases and/or catalog.
- A series of, at minimum, three slides that each list one academic source available through the HCC library on your selected topic.
- Topic Explanation Slide
- A page that gives a minimum two (and no more than three) paragraph explanation of the relevance of the topic. Based on your research, how does the topic you have selected relate to the study of humanities? How is this topic relevant in and important to humanities?
- Conclusion
- A slide that offers a brief conclusion for your reader/viewer.
Format: You can find an example formatted project in this module. Be sure to look through the example to see the formatting and additional page/slide explanations. You are welcome to use multiple slides if your text gets too heavy or crowded. In other words, you are not restricted to one slide per section, if that disrupts the flow/visual appeal of your submission.
Audience: Avoid using first person (I, me, my) and second person (you, your) in your academic Power Point presentation.
Style: You are welcome to use any Power Point style/template that you like. Your project should be visually appealing and organized.
Library Research Strategies
Research is a very important in our society today. We must learn how to research well in order to explain our ideas to others and to offer outside support for our opinions and beliefs. Good research requires that you obtain a variety of sources on your specific topic. The following information will help you do research through the HCC library. You can access the HCC library resources here:
http://library.hccs.edu/home
Utilizing the Library
There are several ways to find sources in the library for any research project. The two most popular ways to find sources are by using the card catalog or an online database.
The Card Catalog
The card catalog basically lists all of the sources available in your library. Follow these steps to use the online card catalog at HCC:
1. Go to http://library.hccs.edu/home
2. Choose “Library Catalog”
3. Search the library catalog by entering a keyword.
By following these steps you should be able to access several resources regarding your topic. The online card catalog will list all of the information you need to know to find the source in the library such as the name of the source, the author’s name, and the call number on the source (Call number—the call number is a sequence of numbers and letters that indicate where you can find the source in your library).
The card catalog listing will also give helpful information for citing sources such as thepublication information; and it will let you know whether or not the source is in the library or if it is checked out at that time.
*Note* You may also use the print card catalog at your library to find sources owned by your library. However, many libraries are moving away from using a print card catalog, so it is a good idea for you to become familiar with how to use an online card catalog. Even HCC has moved away from utilizing card catalogs!
The Online Databases
A database is basically a collection of information arranged in a way that makes it easy to find and easy to access (and it is sometimes referred to as a data bank).
A database is NOT a webpage or website. Databases offer you access to published materials.
Databases often list resources other than just print sources and they also list sources outside of those just owned by your library. Follow these steps to use the databases at HCC:
1. Go to http://library.hccs.edu/home
2. Choose the “Databases” option.
3. You will come to a page that says “Databases A-Z”; if you are accessing the library from a computer on the HCC campus then you will proceed to step 4. If you are accessing the library from an off-campus computer you will need to follow the instructions regarding “Off-Campus Access.”After you have followed the instruction you can then proceed to step 4.
4. On the “Databases A-Z” page you will select “Academic Search Complete
5. You should come to a green and white page that says “EBSCO host” at the top of the page. This is the page you are looking for. EBSCO is a database that your school has a subscription to. On the EBSCO page you should first check the “Full Text” box. By selecting the full text box you will be able to print out full articles on your subject. If you do not select the “Full Text” box you might get a lot of references to your subject but you will not always get full articles.
6. After you have checked the “Full Text” box you can begin searching. You can type in whatever search terms you would like to work with in the search bar.
7. Once you come up with some articles you should note that if you select the title of the article you will come to a page that gives you the information you will need to create your works cited entries–this page should give you your author, title, publication information, etc.
8. You will need to click on HTML or PDF format to read the entire article.
Note:
The majority of the articles that you find through EBSCO can be cited as print sources rather than online sources. The things you will find here are articles that are out there in print somewhere.
Using the Database to Find Online Sources: When you use an advanced search to look for online sources, the database will not offer just everything on the internet that discusses your topic like a typical online search engine (ex: Google) would. Instead, the database will list sources such as online journal and/or newspaper articles that deal with your topic. Online sources found through a database are generally much more credible and valid rather than sources found through search engines.
*Remember* When you find a source through a database you will typically have to print that source so you can read it and create an annotation for it. If you are not on your home computer and you have internet access and a printer at your home you might want to email the source to yourself so you can print it from your home computer.
Away from school? To access the library webpage when you’re not on an HCC campus, simply go to the HCC website and choose the “Library” link at the top of the college’s homepage. This will send you straight to the HCC library homepage.
Other helpful online tools: You can use the resources available through the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for further information:
MLA Style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
These pages provide information on how to use research information in your writing and how to create MLA citations for your works cited entries.
Avoiding Plagiarism
To avoid plagiarism, make sure that you offer source information for the words, thoughts, and/or ideas of others. Any time you incorporate words that are not your own, you need to acknowledge your source. Feel free to contact me if you have any concerns/questions regarding plagiarism.
Ok, so this document covers quite a lot of information. However, all of this information will help you utilize and incorporate sources appropriately.
Keep in mind, for this project you will not be allowed to use online sources such as websites. You will need to use sources you find through the HCC databases and/or catalog. But websites are not allowed as research sources for this project. Use only sources you can find as outlined in this Conducting Research at HCC document.