Each student will create a Midway Reference List of five total sources on a topic (see below) chosen for the final research paper (details to follow). I strongly recommend that you choose one of the topics listed below because all are well covered in the scholarly literature. If you decide on a different topic, please run it by me first. I must approve all students' research topics.
Once you have selected a topic, narrow its focus. For example, choosing to look at the sculpture of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Triple Alliance or Aztec/Mexica Empire is a significant undertaking. To make the project manageable, narrow your focus to major state monuments such as the Calendar Stone and other solar sculptures; representations of animals in stone; or depictions of female deities (e.g., Coyolxauhqui). Consult reference works to narrow your topic!
Your five (5) sources should consist of the following:
Your three secondary sources must incorporate an art historical dimension. That is, your sources will generally be written either by an art historian or a scholar in a related field (e.g., epigrapher, archaeologist, ethnographer, historian) whose analysis at least partly rests on visual evidence. Often you will be able to tell from the source if the author is an art historian or scholar in another field. If not, Google her/his name and append "professor" or "faculty" to the search syntax. I used that technique to find the emeritus faculty page of Dr. Mary Ellen Miller, author of our textbook.
Keep a log of your research activities. This will help you to reflect on the research process both for this assignment and the upcoming Annotated Reference List. Use the Secondary Sources sub-pages of this libguide and at least one (1) of the works from the Reference Shelf page to locate your three secondary sources. Among the many possibilities:
Please do not use Google as a discovery tool (reference work). Google Scholar is fine.
Now, based on your research log and beneath your five correctly cited sources, describe in no more than twenty sentences or about two paragraphs your research process. This time focus largely on your experience with the databases and journals listed on the Secondary Sources sub-pages and your one (1) reference work. Think critically about why a particular tool turned out to be effective given your stated need. Do not hesitate to explore the "about" and "help" pages of each tool/database, if available. Your observations should demonstrate a growing familiarity with the reference works and other research tools available from this libguide, and their value for your research. Do not simply repeat what you wrote in the Initial Reference List.
Purpose: The goals of this assignment are to provide students with the opportunity to further practice 1) choosing the most appropriate method or tool for accessing information on their topics; 2) recognizing and employing controlled or "subject" vocabularies; 3) constructing online searches using search terms (i.e., "keywords") and Boolean operators; and 4) revising the development process (i.e., logging research activities, reflecting on what did and did not work).
Due date: Thursday, September 29 (upload to Canvas before midnight)