Professor Jill Fields, Department of History, CSU Fresno
History/Women's Studies 101: U.S. Women's History
Primary Research Assignment -- Guidelines
General Requirement
A 3 to 4 page paper describing and analyzing a newspaper or magazine report on a women’s history person, event or issue published at the time the event took place. Students sign up for their due dates for the paper, and will present their topic in class (presentation counts toward class participation grade).
What to Include
There are three parts of equal importance to the paper:
1) summary of event, issues, or debates (addressing the who, what, why, when, and where questions). You will need to cite your source(s), and will need to refer directly to the article(s) you have selected.
2) brief description of historical background or themes of U.S. women's history relevant to understanding more about, and explaining the significance of event, issues, or debates.
3) your analysis and conclusions regarding the event and the historical trends and themes raised in the reporting of this particular person, event, issue or debate.
Questions to Consider
Here are some questions that may be helpful in thinking about how to analyze your primary source (it is not a requirement that you answer them):
How do the events, issues or debates relate to the larger context of national trends and historical change taking place during that period?
Are these larger issues being considered by those directly involved, by reporters or by the public? If so, how are these issues being considered? If not, can you determine why?
Does reporting on the event rely upon "generic conventions" of stories our culture tells us about race, class or gender or about the structure of narrative itself?
What additional evidence might you need to more fully investigate the event and how it was reported? What sources might provide that evidence?
Remember
1) Pick a topic that interests you!
2) You can discuss topic ideas or get help with a rough draft during office hours.
3) Include a photocopy of the article(s) you have selected with your paper.
Research with Microfilm
Microfilm of local and national newspapers and magazines are located on the third floor in the Henry Madden Library. If you have never used microfilm before, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance!
The NY Times microfilm begins in 1857 and the Times index covers the 20th century; the Los Angeles Times microfilm begins in 1969, the index starts in 1972. There is a card index of the Fresno Bee on microfilm, but it is very hit or miss.
The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature is an important source for locating magazine articles and dates to look for on newspaper microfilm. Looking at the Reader’s Guide subject headings and the titles of articles on an event provides a sense of the terms in which a particular event is being discussed and the amount of coverage received. Some dates of the Reader’s Guide are now searchable online. Additional indexes and guides are located in the Reference section of the Library; ask the Reference Librarian for assistance in finding them.
Microfilm or bound hard copy primary sources in our library include:
Good Housekeeping [1916], bound 1975-1981, call number TX1 G7; microfilm 1980-present
Harper’s Bazaar [1901], bound 1947-1981, call number AAP2 H3; microfilm 1981-present
Independent, bound 1898-1928, call number AP2 I55
Ladies Home Journal [1889], bound 1969-1981, call number fAP2; microfilm 1981-present
The Ladies Weekly Museum, microfilm 1817-1823
Life, bound 1936-1972, call number fAP2 L547
Look, bound 1937-1971, call number fAP2 L79
Ms. [1972], bound 1973-1982, call number HQ 1101 M55; microfilm 1981-present
Newsweek [1933], bound 1934-1981, call number AP2 N6772; microfilm 1933-present
Off Our Backs, microfilm 1970-present
Saturday Evening Post, bound 1944-1969, 1972-1999, call number AP2 S2
Time [1923], bound 1925-2000 (incomplete), call number AP2 T37; microfilm 1923-present
Vanity Fair, bound 1914-1936 (incomplete), call number fAP2
Vogue, microfilm 1940-1977, 1981-2000 (incomplete); bound 1946-1982, call number fTT500
Periodicals with A-P call numbers are on the fourth floor; Q-Z on the second floor, with current unbound issues by the elevators on the first floor. The "f" preceding some call numbers stands for "folio" or oversized, and are located on the mezzanine level in the library.