Instructions: Skim the article linked below-- read the abstract, section headings, and scan the body text. Then fill out the chart on page 1 of the Topic Charting Worksheet (linked below/printed for in-class). In Part 2 of the worksheet, you'll practice planning out the details of your research.
Skills and Knowledge Practiced: evaluating a source quickly, breaking down a complex topic into researchable parts, assess gaps in your knowledge, brainstorming search terms for use in databases, identifying scholarly sources
This video demonstrates how to systematically think up a variety of terms and phrases to use for searching.
How you enter and combine search terms impacts the results you see. This video demonstrates different techniques for entering keywords when searching for scholarly sources.
You can look up your topic in these reference sources or using Wikipedia to find search terms and ground your understanding.
The Oxford African American Studies Center provides access to articles by top scholars in the field. The core content includes several reference works with print counterparts - Africana: the Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experiences, the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895, the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present, Black Women in America, African American National Biography, and several other African American reference works. Over 1,000 images, primary sources with specially written commentaries, and over 100 maps have been collected to enhance this reference content. Over 100 charts and tables offer information on everything from demographics to government and politics to business and labor to education and the arts.
Encyclopedia of Black Studies by 