CSU Fresno - Trials of the Century - Fall 2004 - Professor Jill Fields
Primary Research Assignment Guidelines
General Requirement
A 3 to 4 page minimum paper describing and analyzing a newspaper and/or magazine report on a trial published at the time the trial took place. Students select their due dates for the paper from the trial list provided, and will present their topic in class (counts toward class participation grade). If there is a trial that you wish to investigate that does not appear on the list, please consult with professor.
What to Include
There are three parts to the paper:
1) summary of case and trial events, 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. history relevant to understanding more about, and explaining the significance of, trial events, issues, or debates.
3) your analysis and conclusions regarding the trial and the historical trends and themes raised in the reporting of this particular trial event, legal issue or debate.
Questions to Consider
How do the trial 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 trial or the verdict 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 trial 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.
Microfilm
Microfilms of local and national newspapers 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!
Locating Articles
To find article dates, you can consult the NY Times index (1851-present), San Francisco newspapers index (1904-1949), San Francisco Chronicle index (1950-present, microfilm), and the Los Angeles Times index (1972-present). 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 newspaper microfilm. Looking at the Reader’s Guide subject headings and the titles of articles on a trial provides a sense of the terms in which a particular trial is being discussed and the amount of coverage received. (Some years of the Reader’s Guide are now searchable on line). Indexes and guides are located in the Reference section of the Library; ask the Reference Librarian for assistance in finding them.
Internet Sources
For more recent trials, you can use the database Lexis-Nexis to find newspaper sources. There are also many online sites that include primary sources. Be sure to consider the reliability of internet sources before you utilize them. Primary sources include trial transcripts as well as newspaper and magazine articles.