List two different topics of interest to you about the Holocaust that you have not explored before

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COM 2416-01 The Holocaust

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Purpose: To build on your learning from Grace Kim’s library presentation and previous WebQuests by reflecting on and researching topics of interest to you. The assignment has specific goals, as follows:

1. To embark on preliminary research that may or may not result in the selection of your research project topic. Observe that I use the terms “research project,” “research paper,” and “term paper” as synonyms.
2. To find and correctly document appropriate sources that you may or may not use in your research paper, thus learning how to avoid the charge of plagiarism.
3. To appreciate research methods as a means of furthering your own individual learning.
4. To develop intellectual curiosity about a topic that already holds a great deal of interest for you.
5. To do a great deal of reading on a chosen topic of interest to you that will give you a head start on your research.

Dr. Zim’s personal purpose: as an undergraduate professor, it is my hope that the majority of my students will someday pursue graduate level studies. As someone who has written a master’s thesis and a doctoral dissertation, I understand the necessity for students to learn appropriate research methods. If you have not done so already in your academic career, you can start now, with this assignment. I also learned from personal experience that research is effortless if you are deeply interested in your topic. The greater the interest, the easier the research becomes. To quote my mother (who had two master’s degrees and a Ph.D.), “It is not work if you love what you are doing.” Developing intellectual curiosity about a subject is imperative to make this assignment anything but a chore. By doing so, your research can become a labor of love as well as a source of pride.

Mechanical Directions:
Sae this file in Microsoft Word, in the following format:
Midterm YourLastName. Thus, my file would be as follows:

PUT YOUR NAME AT THE TOP OF THE FILE. STUDENTS ARE STILL NEGLECTING TO DO THIS.

Put your answers in black font after each question. Do not delete the questions. Be sure the numbering system remains true—1a., 1b., etc. Each answer should follow the question it answers.

 Leave all text left justified. It makes it very difficult to insert comments if you justify the text.

Use Microsoft’s spell check and grammar check to avoid making mechanical errors in spelling and punctuation. Points deducted for mechanical errors (misspelled words, typos, grammatical and punctuation errors), or for evidence that you failed to proof read your work. I will deduct up to 15 points off for not doing so.

Assignment due:  Email to me by midnight, Friday, October 19, 2018.

Suggestion:  Read the entire assignment before starting to answer these questions. As you conduct your research, reflect on the process of research as well as on the content of the information you are researching, so that you will be able to answer the reflection questions at the end. Reflection Question #12 is worth 15 points, more than any other question. Thus, you should spend the most time on it.

Time needed to complete this assignment: For a three unit class, it is expected that students should prepare for three hours outside of class each week. Since this assignment covers two weeks of homework, I anticipate that most students will need six hours to complete it.

Note:  Wikipedia is not an appropriate academic source for your research paper.

Questions:

1. (5 points) Topic selection. Browse to https://www.ushmm.org/learn/students/the-holocaust-a-learning-site-for-students
   1. List two different topics of interest to you about the Holocaust that you have not explored before. Describe the topics and why these topics interest you. What about the topic piqued your interest? Why? Why is this topic important? You will have to click on the icon to see what is entailed in each topic. In your answer, be sure it is clear about which topic you are writing. I am looking for a short answer, but proof that you explored both of your chosen topics; a paragraph or two should be sufficient for each topic.
   2. Add to this list the topics that interested you from your work in the library with Ms. Kim and/or from previous WebQuests or from any other Holocaust related source. List and write a one-sentence description of at least five topics in the order of your interest in them. Number one should be the topic in which you have the most interest.
   3. Describe any two topics from Question #1.b that you did not describe in Question #1.a., and why these topics interest you. In your answer, follow the directions in Question #1.a.
2. (5 points) Choose one of the topics that interests you the most as a potential term paper project, probably your number one topic from Question 1.b. You are not locked into using this topic for your research project, even after completing this assignment. Using the research tools presented by Ms. Kim, first, refine this topic into key concepts. From these key concepts, generate specific search terms so that you have three to five different phrases or words that are suitable search terms for your chosen topic.
   1. What are the key concepts and search terms you used? List and label each set appropriately, as either key concept or search term. You do not have to write in complete sentences for this answer.
   2. Use these search terms in actual searches. Summarize in a paragraph or two the information you learned about your topic after you completed these searches. You should summarize at least three different aspects of your topic, based on the information you found from three different searches.

The following websites will help you format your sources in Questions #3 and #4: http://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/static/bsm/hacker/resdoc/home.htm

APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines:

https://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/static/bsm/hacker/resdoc/social_sciences/documenting.htm

MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines:

Formatting in-text citations: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/static/bsm/hacker/resdoc/humanities/intext.htm

Formatting Works Cited lists:

https://www.macmillanlearning.com/catalog/static/bsm/hacker/resdoc/humanities/list.htm

4. (10 points) Find two relevant and authoritative print sources on your chosen topic, using the library catalogue in Gellert Library (available electronically from offsite by logging on, as instructed by Ms. Kim). Find the books in the library or online so that you are able to peruse them. By “perusing,” I mean to look at the table of contents, find sections of the book relevant to your topic, and read some of the relevant sections or chapters on your topic.
   1. Cite each source using APA or MLA format, depending on which format your field of study uses. For example, if you are a psychology major, you would use APA style, and thus have a list of “References.” If you are an English major, you would use MLA style, and thus have a list of “Works Cited.” There are very real differences in the two formatting styles. If you do not know which format your field uses, ask one of your professors. List your annotations in alphabetical order. “Annotations” is another term for “citations,” the noun form of the verb “to cite.”
   2. In a paragraph or two, summarize what you learned about your topic from your perusal of these two books. Be sure you list the book, then what you learned from reading the source; so that it is clear to me that you dipped into each book.
5. (10 points) Find two relevant and authoritative digital sources on your chosen topic, using some of the library databases in Gellert Library. These sources can be peer-reviewed scholarly articles, survivor testimony, newspaper articles, etc.
   3. Cite each source using APA or MLA format, depending on which format your field of study uses. Follow the directions in Question #3.a. to complete your answer.
   4. In a paragraph or two, summarize what you learned about your topic from your perusal of these two sources. Be sure you list the source, then what you learned from reading the source; so that it is clear to me that you dipped into each.
6. (10 points) Evaluate your four sources from Questions #3 and #4. Use these two websites to help you evaluate your sources. For each topic, you will have an “a” answer and a “b” answer. List each of your four topics separately, followed by your “a” answer and your “b” answer for each.
   1. https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/research-help/evaluation
      Click on and read, “Primary, Secondary or Tertiary Sources”; learn the differences as described in this pdf file. Label your sources according to whether they are a primary, secondary, or tertiary source.
   2.  
      Click on and read, “A guide to information credibility in a “post-truth” world” Evaluate each of your four sources according to the “C.R.A.A.P.” test, outlined in this pdf file.
7. (5 points) After conducting this research, what additional questions do you have about your chosen topic? List three to five questions you have about your topic.
8. (10 points) Develop a thesis statement. Usually, a thesis statement evolves from answering a research question. In addition, researchers notice recurring themes, images, or patterns in their research. As a result of your research and the resulting questions you have, write a thesis statement that meets the criteria in this website:  
9. (10 points) Writing an introduction. Imagine that you are writing a letter home, and you want to explain to your parents what you are working on. Write an introduction to your topic by imagining that you are explaining it to an interested parent or friend who knows very little about the topic.
10. (5 points) Avoiding plagiarism. Browse to this website from Yale University:  
    Read all the topics listed so that you can return to the site if you need additional help in citing sources. Click on “Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism.” Reflect on the meaning of plagiarism. In your own words (no copying and pasting), what is plagiarism? Why is plagiarism one of the most egregious of academic crimes? How will you avoid the charge of plagiarism in your term paper?
11. (5 points) Reflection about research. Notice the difference between writing a report and writing a research paper, from the Carnegie Mellon University website:   
    How do you see the difference between research and writing a report? Do not copy and paste information. Make the distinction in your own words.
12. (10 points) Reflect on the process of research itself. What do you see as your particular strengths when it comes to conducting research? What are your personal challenges? How will you overcome your challenges? Why is research so important in studying genocides and genocide denial? Why is research in general so important?
13. (15 points) Reflection question about your topic. As a result of this preliminary research, how did your attitude change about your topic? Did you find a different focus? Was your intellectual curiosity piqued? If so, how? If not, why not? How would you deepen your curiosity about and interest in this topic? What other reflections do you have about your topic?
14. No points, but points deducted for not answering.
    1. Which question brought you more in touch with your chosen topic?
    2. Which question would you delete? Why?
    3. How likely are you to use the topic you chose as the subject for your research project?
    4. As a result of this assignment, has your attitude toward research changed? If so, how? If not, why not?
    5. Any other comments?