Summer I, 2009
Instructor: Ira Chinoy Time:
Tues. & Thurs.
Office: Room 4100 (see
note about starting times below)
Phone: 301-405-8208
(office)
Dates: June 2 to July 9,
2009
301-718-4322 (home) Class
location: See information below
E-mail: ichinoy@jmail.umd.edu Office
hours: By appointment
Class web site: http://jclass.umd.edu/cars/474-774/default.htm
Course description and
goals: Though the materials available for inspection at the National Archives
are generally decades old, journalists have used them to research feature
articles, investigative pieces, and even breaking news. Scholars have also used the National Archives
for research in journalism history, especially where that history intersects with
the activities and policies of the
Instruction and speakers:
Ø
Associate Professor Ira Chinoy was a journalist for 24 years before joining the faculty of
the
Ø
Robert Garber, a
university librarian, will help teach the class on June 9 at McKeldin Library
(noted below). He will also be available
during the semester to advise you on search strategies for secondary source
materials to complement your archival research.
He can be reached by e-mail at rgarber@umd.edu.
Ø
Bob Coren, a supervisor at Archives II, is our primary contact there
and has also been involved in the planning and operation of this course since
its inception in 2002. He will lead a tour of Archives II at the second
session.
Ø
A number of class
sessions will include archivists, journalists and authors as guest
speakers.
Class times and locations:
Ø
Class sessions will be
held at a variety of locations – on campus in the Journalism Building and
McKeldin Library; and off campus at the National Archives buildings in College
Park (known as “Archives II”) and in Washington, D.C. The starting time will also vary depending on
the date and location. (At Archives II, this is intended to ensure you have
time to park and get through security before class). Pay close attention to the
schedule of class sessions (below) to know where to be, when to be there, and
what to bring with you. Here are some
more things to keep in mind about the schedule:
Ø
The second class session
and several other class sessions will be held in various rooms at Archives II (http://www.archives.gov/facilities/md/archives_2.html),
Ø
The tenth class (July 2)
will be held at the National Archives
Building in Washington, DC.
Students will gather at the researchers’
entrance,
Prerequisites: Admission
to the course is by permission of the instructor or the
Undergraduate research
requirement: Undergraduate journalism majors enrolled in this course
will satisfy the JOUR 470-479 research requirement.
Ø
Most readings will be
made available on the Internet before the class session in which they will be
discussed. There is a separate
page with links to required and optional readings. [The archives class username and password are needed to access the
readings].
Ø
Elliot Jaspin’s Buried
in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America (Basic Books, 2007 [hardcover; ISBN-13: 978-0465036363]
and 2008 [paperback; ISBN-13: 978-0465036370]), will be required reading for Session 7 on June 23, when he will come to
discuss his work. Arrangements have been
made to acquire copies of this book at a discount for class members; this will
be discussed in the first class session. You are required to prepare a
two-page response to this book for Session 7; the details of that requirement
are posted on the course readings
and assignments page.
Ø
Alicia Shepard’s Woodward
& Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate (Wiley, 2006 [hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0471737612] and 2007
[paperback, ISBN-13: 978-0470168813]) will be required reading for Session 9 on June 30, when she will come to
discuss her work. Arrangements have been
made to acquire copies of this book at a discount for class members; this will
be discussed in the first class session.
Assignments and grading:
Ø
Obtaining a researcher identification card: Before June 4, the second class
session, students must
stop by Archives II (
Ø
Class participation: Active
participation in class discussions and professional conduct during your work at
the archives are essential for the
success of this class. This includes
completing the readings that will be assigned for the sessions with guest
speakers (see the course readings
and assignments page). Class
participation will count for 30 percent
of your grade for the course, which will come from the following elements:
1.
For each class session
in which there is a guest speaker, you must come to class with a typed list of five thoughtful questions you
would like to ask each speaker during class, based on what you have read. Bring
two copies of each list to class – one for yourself and one to turn in to
the instructor.
2.
For the session in
which Elliot Jaspin will speak (Session 7 on June 23), you must come to class
with a two-page response to Buried in the Bitter Waters to turn
in (see the readings
and assignments page for details).
3.
Each student will keep
a “session portfolio” to be turned in at the final class session on
July 9. This will include the
following items for each class session):
·
A typed copy of the
five questions you brought to class for that session.
·
A typed page of
reflections on the session (double-spaced is fine), including (a). a
description of at least one of the memorable concepts that came up during that
session, and (b). at least one idea you took away from the session that you
thought would be useful to you in pursuing your own research project. The latter could, for example, be a question
that occurred to you based on what you heard during the session, an idea for
resources you might check, or something specific that the speaker mentioned as
an avenue you might try.
Ø
Research project: Each student will carry
out a research project at Archives II.
You have been asked to email the instructor with a couple of ideas for
research projects before the first class session. We will brainstorm your ideas at the first
class session and also as the course progresses. You are expected to begin your research in
the archives by the third session. This
project will count for 70 percent of your course grade, and you should plan on
investing at least 40 hours
in it outside class over the course of the semester. The elements of this project include:
o
A 150-word
statement of your research question: This is due at the third class session, Tuesday, June 9. (Bring two copies to
turn in.)
o
A 250-word status
memo and oral report: This is due at the
start of the seventh class session, Tuesday,
June 23. It should give an initial account of your search for relevant
primary records and secondary sources, your efforts to contact archivists with
expertise in your area of interest, the approach you are taking in your
research, and the most interesting of your initial findings. Bring two copies
of the written report to class. We will use your accounts of your projects as a
jumping-off point to brainstorm the challenges that remain.
o
A 500-word outline of your final project report should be sent by e-mail to your instructor during the
fifth week of the course, but no later than noon on Thursday, July 2. You are
not bound to stick with this outline to the end, but doing it will give you a
chance to start thinking ahead about the organization of your final report and
the holes you have left to fill.
o
An oral
presentation to the class and the final written report of your research
project. You will turn in your final written report and
present your findings to the class at the last
session on Thursday, July 9. Plan on
talking for about eight to ten minutes,
with discussion to follow. Consider
providing handouts – for example, an outline or copies of key documents – or
using other audiovisual materials. Some
students in the past have used videos, photos, the Internet and PowerPoint
presentations. NOTE: Depending on class
size, I will ask for several volunteers
to do their final oral presentations on Tuesday, July 7. In this case, the
written reports would still be due on July 9. The written report may be in the form of a detailed story memo, a work of journalism, a research paper, or
a set of Web pages that you would create. This final report should be about
3,000 words (about eight to ten pages, double-spaced). It should focus on your most interesting
findings, the evidence supporting them, and relevant context from secondary
sources. If you do a story memo or research paper, you should also include a
description of the additional reporting or research that would be needed to
produce a publishable news story, feature, or journal article from your
work.
o
A log of your
research activities, including sources
consulted, discoveries, and insights: This will help you keep track of what you
have done, and it will help us see how you are doing. I may ask to look at your
log when I discuss your research with you individually during the semester. It
may be typed or handwritten. You will be required to submit a copy of this log as part of your final written project on July 9.
o
A one-page statement on
what you learned about the research process
that was a revelation to you and that would be useful for future students to
keep in mind. You will also be required
to submit this as part of your final
written project on July 9.
o
One copy of a useful record (text, photo, video, map, etc.) that you found at Archives II and the steps that someone else would need to take to find it, including a copy of the pull slip (the document used to request the records) or the
information that would need to be included on a pull slip. You will also be
required to submit this as part of your
final written project on July
9. (Note: If there is a significant expense associated
with reproducing this record, alert the instructor ahead of time to determine
whether you need to submit a copy or just a description of the record).
Attendance and Deadlines:
Because
of the frequent appearance of guest speakers to deliver information not
available to you in any other course materials, it is important that you attend
every class session. It is also essential that you show up on time,
which, to reiterate, will mean allowing enough time to contend with traffic,
parking, and getting through the security checks at the entrance to Archives II
on the days that we meet there.
Participation and demeanor:
Though you will work hard in this
class, the goal is that it will be a lively and enjoyable experience. The give
and take of classroom discussion is a great opportunity for all of us to learn.
The guest speakers are volunteering their time and expertise to help you learn,
so you will be expected to show them the respect they deserve by paying
attention and participating in the discussions.
Academic Integrity: Along with
certain rights, students have the responsibility to behave honorably in an
academic environment. Academic dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication,
facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Any
abridgement of academic integrity standards will be referred directly to the
dean and the university's Office of Judicial Affairs. Confirmation of such
incidents will result in earning an “XF” grade for the course and may result in
more severe consequences, such as expulsion. Students who are uncertain as to
what constitutes academic dishonesty should consult the university’s Code of
Academic Integrity, available online at:
http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html.
All students will be required to
sign an academic integrity pledge at the beginning of the semester. It will cover all assignments in the
course. Please read it carefully. While you will be getting help from your
instructor, Robert Garber and
Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities that require special
accommodation during the semester should make an appointment to meet with the
instructor as soon as possible.
Computer Lab
Availability: If the computer labs in
the
The instructor may modify this
schedule during the semester to better meet the needs of the class. Also, you
must check the archives class Web
site for reading and writing assignments before each session (you will need a special username and password
to access these archives class materials).
Session 1 – Tues., June 2: Introduction to the
course and to the ways archives have been used by journalists; discussion of
the types of projects students have done in the past. (
Session 2 – Thurs., June
4: Introduction
to Archives II. Bob Coren will give an overview of the National Archives and lead a tour of Archives II. James Hastings, a senior official at
the National Archives and Director
of Access Programs, will talk about the process
of seeking and
requesting records. (Archives II,
Session 3 – Tues., June 9: Robert Garber will
talk about secondary
source materials – online databases, journal articles, news archives and
public records – that may be useful in your projects. A former student, Patrick
Boyle, managing editor of Youth Today,
will talk about the research
project he did for this course and his subsequent archival research. We will also hear from Karen Masterson, a
journalist who took this course several years ago and is now at work on a book
that grew out of a serendipitous discovery she made during her research project
at Archives II. Students must turn in a 150-word statement of their
research question and topic. (McKeldin Library, U.Md., Room
2109; class begins at 9:30 a.m.)
Session 4 – Thurs., June
11: Greg
Bradsher of the National Archives
will talk about revelations from records related to Holocaust-Era
Assets, including documents
that led to high-profile news stories and billion of dollars in reparations in
recent years. (Archives II,
Session 5 – Tues., June 16: Nick
Natanson, an archivist specializing in visual records at
the archives, will talk about the use of photographs and other non-text
records as source materials for archival research. (Archives II,
Session 6 – Thurs., June 18: Bob Richardson of the National
Archives will discuss and display examples of cartographic
records and aerial photographs. Daniel Rooney, an archivist in the Motion
Picture, Sound & Video Branch at Archives II, will introduce the class to
the National Archives’ holdings in motion
picture films and sound and video recordings (Archives II, College
Park, Room 4340 – Assemble at 9:20 a.m. in the main lobby at Archives II; be
sure to bring your researcher identification card.)
Session 7 – Tues., June 23: Elliot Jaspin, a
journalist and author of Buried
in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America,
will talk about his experiences in unearthing the stories presented in the
book, including the role of archival materials. Oral and written status reports
on your research projects are due at the start of class. A two-page response to Buried in the Bitter Waters is also due at the start of the class.
See the readings
and assignments page for details. (Archives II,
Session 8 – Thursday, June 25: There will be no
formal class meeting today so that students may have time to work on their research.
Individual meetings may be scheduled with the instructor at Archives II to
review research materials and discuss plans for completing projects.
Session 9 – Tuesday, June 30: Alicia C.
Shepard, a journalist, educator and ombudsman for National Public Radio,
will discuss her use of archival materials in writing, Woodward
& Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate. Shepard’s resume
includes a master’s degree in journalism from the
Session 10 – Thurs., July 2: This session will
be held at the National
Archives Building in Washington, D.C. Miriam
Kleiman, who was instrumental in uncovering documents that led to
reparations for holocaust victims, will talk about making discoveries and
piecing together the past with archival records. She will also give us a tour of the
REMINDER: A 500-word outline of your final project report must be sent by e-mail to your instructor (ichinoy@jmail.umd.edu) during the fifth
week of the course, no later than noon
on Thursday, July 2.
Session 11 – Tues., July 7: This session will focus on an aspect of the future of
archives – the preservation of and access to records in digital form. Steven
Puglia, a preservation and imaging specialist, will discuss issues related to
effective use of digital images and describe ongoing work in the digital
preservation of archival records. Depending on the number of students in the
course, some may make their final oral presentations during this class session.
(Archives
II, College Park, Lecture Room E; class begins at 9:30 a.m. in
that room; be sure to bring your researcher identification card.)
Session 12 – Thurs., July 9: Student will make their oral presentations and turn in
their final project reports and session portfolios. (McKeldin Library, U.Md., Room 6103; class begins promptly
at 9 a.m. in that room so that we will have time for all student
presentations.)