History SL IA

[shanshan]

I want to write something about Pearl Harbor attack, but I can't find the question for my paper.

Can anyone help me?~ Thank you~~O(∩_∩)O~

Edited August 25, 2010 by shanshan

[Bishup]

Greetings fellow SL History student

You are required to find the question on your own behalf as it is your work. Once you have your question we can help you refine it or twiddle with it in order to give you the most appropriate scope for your IA. N.B : Your question should allow you to summon different types of sources as it is source based and critise and evaluate their value. Think of Limitation, origin, purpose and value

[JoeG]

Yes, I would also advise that you do what Bishup recommended.

As for trying to find a topic concerning Pearl Harbor, think about a specific aspect of it that you want to focus on. Try to pick a research question/thesis that you can make an argument for, rather than just being descriptive, as IB doesn't like "descriptive" papers.

For example, would you like to focus on how the Pearl Harbor attack changed the U.S. and Japanese relationship after the war.

Or you could also phrase a question like this;

Did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor lead to hate crimes against Japanese-Americans during WW2?

I'm just throwing out ideas here to help you find out how to phrase your topic. Remember, you have to choose a research question/thesis that is open to an investigation/argument, and also, a topic that has enough sources. You can pick an obscure topic like I did, but if it's too obscure, you may not have enough sources, possibly making you change your topic around some and picking a different focus.

Good luck on your essay.

[Anansi]

Being IB, start the question with "to what extent"

but seriously, its a great way to phrase a questions, besides that find a area where there is some contention. The IA is basically source analysis, so make sure the topic has evidence both for and against it. for instance, using JoeGuff's example question Did the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor lead to hate crimes against Japanese-Americans during WW2? is there good, reliable evidence for the debate for and against the question? if there is, and its not too general, then most likely its a good topic.

Good luck