Organize Your Revised Research Questions Current

Organize Your Revised Research Questions Curren

For your initial post, organize your revised research questions, current thesis statement, and an outline or checklist of your plan for conducting further research on your topic into a new discussion post. In a few paragraphs, discuss what relevant sources you have identified and the process for accessing those sources.

Paper For Above instruction

The initial instruction focuses on the organization of revised research questions, current thesis statements, and research plans. Students are expected to compose a new discussion post that clearly articulates their refined research questions related to their topics, along with their thesis statement and a detailed outline or checklist of their forthcoming research approach. This post should include a discussion of relevant sources already identified, emphasizing how these sources are accessed. Additionally, students should reflect on how their research process is progressing and what steps they plan to take to deepen their understanding of the topic.

Furthermore, students are encouraged to critique their peers' research plans by evaluating whether their classmates' strategies reflect critical historical thinking skills. These include considerations of change over time, historical context, causality, complexity, and contingency. Peer responses should be thoughtful, providing constructive feedback and suggestions that might help classmates develop a more nuanced approach to their research. The responses are also part of the assignment, requiring students to reply to at least two different classmates outside of their initial post thread by specified deadlines, demonstrating deeper engagement than simple agreement or disagreement.

This comprehensive assignment is designed to reinforce critical analytical skills, enhance research planning, and foster engaging scholarly discussions. By organizing their questions and research strategies clearly and critically evaluating peer approaches, students hone their understanding of historiographical methods and develop their ability to think like historians.

Paper For Above instruction

Effective historical research begins with precise and well-organized questions that guide a scholar through the complex landscape of past events. As outlined in the assignment prompt, students are expected to refine their research questions, develop a clear thesis statement, and outline their plan for further investigation. This process serves not only to clarify their focus but also to demonstrate their understanding of core historiographical principles such as change over time, causality, context, complexity, and contingency.

For instance, one student’s research questions revolve around Nelson Mandela's role in ending apartheid in South Africa. Their primary question asks how Mandela’s 27-year imprisonment contributed to the movement towards ending apartheid, while the secondary question examines the collaboration between Mandela and President R. W. Klerk following Mandela’s release. The student’s thesis posits that their joint efforts successfully led to a multiracial government and the end of apartheid. To support this research, they have identified primary sources such as the Nelson Mandela Foundation website, and secondary sources like scholarly articles from the Shapiro Library. Their process involves examining these materials to analyze personal relationships and political actions that fostered change.

Similarly, another student explores the dismantling of apartheid and its impacts on education and women's rights. Their revised research questions focus on how the end of apartheid in 1994 affected Black educational opportunities and women's rights over the subsequent 25 years. The student’s thesis highlights persistent inequalities in the educational system despite political change. Their sources include Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, "Long Walk to Freedom," as well as academic articles from databases like Gale’s World History in Context and publications by authors such as Fiske and Ladd. These sources provide insights into policy shifts, societal effects, and ongoing challenges, illustrating a plan rooted in both primary narratives and scholarly analysis.

Thinking like a Historian

Critiquing peers’ research plans involves evaluating whether they demonstrate critical historical thinking. This includes assessing if their questions recognize causality—are they exploring the reasons behind events? Do their plans acknowledge the importance of context—considering social, political, and economic conditions? Are they aware of change over time—tracking shifts across years or decades? Do they appreciate the complexity and contingency of historical developments—recognizing that outcomes are often shaped by numerous intertwined factors?

For example, a well-formulated plan might include examining how international pressures influenced South Africa’s transition, or how internal factional conflicts shaped policies. A less nuanced plan might overlook the layered causes and effects that define historical change. Responses to peers should help them expand their perspectives, encouraging inclusion of multiple factors, exploration of different viewpoints, and consideration of unintended consequences. This reflective critique fosters a more sophisticated understanding of history as a complex interplay of forces and variables.

References

• Buckwalter, J. (2006). Nelson Mandela, activist, prisoner, president. Faces, 22(6), 6-9.
• Fiske, E. B., & Ladd, H. F. (2004). Elusive Equity: Education Reform in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Brookings Institution Press.
• Mandela, N. (1990). Apartheid has no future. Vital Speeches of the Day, 56(10).
• Van De Walle, N. (2005). Elusive equity: Education reform in post-apartheid South Africa. Foreign Affairs, 84(1), 197.
• Nelson Mandela Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nelsonmandela.org
• Shapiro Library. (2019). Research databases and resources.
• Times [London, England]. (2013). The end of apartheid was not inevitable. Times, 12 Dec.
• Wessells, M. (2014). Reconciliation and social change in South Africa. Journal of Peace Research, 51(2), 157-170.
• Wolpe, H. (1990). South Africa’s pathways to democracy. African Affairs, 89(356), 529-552.
• Wolpe, H. (2012). South Africa: The politics of transition and social change. Journal of Modern African Studies, 50(4), 639–660.