The document provides instructions for a research essay assignment in HIST 2P25. Students must write an 8-page essay arguing whether one of six listed communication technologies (telegraph, telephone, film, radio, television, or internet) was or was not revolutionary. The essay needs to use at least six sources, including one monograph, one journal article, and one primary source. Wikipedia and similar sources are not acceptable. The essay is due at the start of seminar in the week of March 29.

1. March 2010 HIST 2P25
Revolutionary technology?
Finding Primary & Secondary Sources

2. HIST 2P25 Assignment
Research Essay 25%
Write an eight page research essay on what was/was not
revolutionary about ONE of the following communication technologies:
Telegraph, Telephone, Film, Radio, Television, Internet. Your essay should
argue a thesis (“X” was/was not revolutionary because…”) and provide
evidence to substantiate this thesis. You should use AT LEAST six sources. AT
LEAST ONE of these sources must be a monograph, ONE a journal article and
ONE a primary source. You are allowed to use essays from the textbook, but
only ONE will count towards your six mandatory sources. Encarta, Wikipedia
What am I going to write about?
and similar online encyclopedias will NOT be considered adequate sources.
Your essay should be footnotedinterestedto the footnoting conventions
What am I according in?
described by Rampolla. It should have a bibliography formatted according the
bibliography conventions for history essays described by Rampolla. Your essay
should use standard format = double spaced, standard margins, in the usual
font and font size (12pt, Times New Roman).
To be submitted at the start of seminar in the week of March 29.

3. HIST 2P25 Assignment
Research Essay 25% find journal articles
Where to
Write an eight page on this topic? on what was/was not revolutionary about
research essay
ONE of the following communication technologies: Telegraph, Telephone, Film,
Radio, Television, Internet. Your essay should argue a thesis (“X” was/was not
revolutionary because…”) and provide evidence to substantiate this thesis. You
should use AT LEAST six sources. AT LEAST ONE of these sources must be a
monograph, ONE a journal article and ONE a primary source. You are
allowed to use essays from the textbook, but only ONE will count towards your
six mandatory sources. Encarta, Wikipedia and similar online encyclopedias will
NOT be considered adequate sources. Your essay should be footnoted
according to the footnoting conventions described by Rampolla. It should have
a bibliography formatted according the bibliographyprimary source?
What’s a conventions for history
monograph = ?
essays described by Rampolla. Your essay should do I standard format =
How use find them?
double spaced, standard margins, in the usual font and font size (12pt, Times
New Roman).
To be submitted at the start of seminar in the week of March 29.

4. HIST 2P25 Assignment
WARNING:
Research Essay 25%
Don’t use
Write an eight page research essay on what was/was not revolutionary about
Wikipedia
ONE of the following communication technologies: Telegraph, Telephone, Film,
Radio, Television, Internet. Your essay should argue a thesis (“X” was/was not
revolutionary because…”) and provide evidence to substantiate this thesis. You
should use AT LEAST six sources. AT LEAST ONE of these sources must be a
monograph, ONE a journal article and ONE a primary source. You are allowed
to use essays from the textbook, but only ONE will count towards your six
mandatory sources. Encarta, Wikipedia and similar online encyclopedias
will NOT be considered adequate sources. Your essay should be
footnoted according to the footnoting conventions described by Rampolla. It
should have a bibliography formatted according the bibliography conventions
for history essays described by Rampolla. Your essay should use standard
format = double spaced, standard margins, in the usual font and font size
(12pt, Times New Roman).
To be submitted at the start of seminar in the week of March 29.

5. For today
How to find the best…
• books (briefly)
• articles
• primary sources
TIP: For best results, start at the library website

6. books
How do you find books on your topic?

7. books
Books Catalogue

8. articles
What do you use to find articles?

9. articles
Articles Databases
Best databases for this assignment:
America History & Life - U.S. & Canada
Historical Abstracts – All countries except US & Canada
JSTOR- Humanities, Soc.Sci. & Sci.
History of Science, Technology and Medicine

10. articles : try a search
Group A: You’re interested Group B: You’re interested
in the impact of radio in the role of television
during wartime in the U.S. during the Vietnam War.
Use: America History & Life Use: JSTOR
1959 RCA Victor Dual Speaker Filteramic Tube
Radio by Roadsidepictures Television by videocrab

11. primary sources
Examples of primary sources?

12. primary sources
"[A] document or record containing first-hand
information or original data on a topic..."

13. primary sources - example
“Extracts from the private letters of
the late Sir William Fothergill Cooke, 1836-39,
relating to the invention and development of the electric telegraph”
Found by searching for ‘telegraph’ in the Text collection > American
Libraries, Internet Archive

14. Thank you.
Contact:
Monica Rettig
Liaison Librarian
mrettig@brocku.ca