As far as skills are concerned, I’d probably like to keep my reading skills because they seem to fall in line with what I’ve read so far but also because my method has worked for me for many years; start by skimming and checking for keywords, followed by an in-depth re-reading and taking notes.
For my research topic, I’m still unsure of what to choose. As I have studied maritime history on my own, may I study the disaster of the RMS Titanic in 1912? I’m sure there is a new approach I can take to this topic with the aid from my professor and TA. Ever since I was a child, i was obsessed with the Titanic and other ships of this time period. So naturally, I was also interested in the sinking; who could have been at fault, could it have been avoided, why weren’t there enough lifeboats, and so on. I even have a book, it was a gift from my parents last year for Christmas, of first-hand accounts from survivors of the disaster which was published in late 1912. Please comment your suggestions if this isn’t quite what you have in mind for this research project, or if you have any suggestions on how to approach this matter.
10/16/2020 Comment by Scott Hemsley JR: Focusing on first hand accounts doesn't seem like the most straightforward way to answering the more narrowly factual question you've laid out here. In week 4 we'll be reading more about developing and refining research questions--you might skip ahead to look at some of that material. If you shift your focus a bit, it could be that those conflicts are very interesting topics to investigate--think about when the personal account were gathered, perspective, etc.. It might be that looking at historical memory of the event is better supported by your sources. This is a little brief--sharing a little more about the kinds of sources you're using, the databases you're using, would help me guide you better.
I am most interested in working with personal accounts of those who experienced first-hand, the disaster of the sinking of the Titanic. After reading some accounts from a few passengers and a few crew members, I’ve come to the conclusion that I will need to stitch together what I believe will be the answers to my questions. I say stitch together because there are some conflicting accounts between some of the testimonies. I am hoping to look into the possible (unavoidable and a few obvious) causes that sank the titanic which in turn lead to the deaths of 1,517 men, women, and children. But I want to focus on the more unforeseeable causes, such as weather, vision, steel quality. I’d like input from you on how this focus sounds. Do you have any suggestions on changing the focus or topics? Should I change anything so far?
10/30/2020
After doing the research assignments, I found it a bit difficult to find articles pertaining to my research question within the sites provided through the modules. I have found some credible primary sources from sources outside of the course. I am still focusing on the cause of so many fatalities. I have found a few sources prior to the sinking from the ship’s builders regarding the number of lifeboats to be unsatisfactory for the number of souls aboard but was met with opposition from the owner himself. Other factors I’ve found include that it was common to carry lifeboat capacity for less than those aboard. I will continue to find other possible sources, perhaps even try to find scientific evidence for weather conditions or undisclosed design flaws that may have lead to this.