IA Historical Investigation: Research Question

[maximilian]

Well, I am pretty much behind with my work and I, for some reason, can not yet decide on neither a detailed research question nor a topic to write about. So, I was thinking about just putting two topics along with a question and hope that some of you might help me in determining the best of them and/or improve existing ones, for maybe others using the one that I have not chosen in the end. ^^

Topic: The War of 1812 (USA vs British on Canadian soil)

RQ: Based on the field post of the British generals, how did the structures and equipment in the combat forces differentiate between the British and the US-American fighters?

Sources: "Select British Documents of the Canadian War of 1812" (www.archive.org/details/selectbritishdoc13wood), "The War of 1812" (video.pbs.org/video/2089393539)

Topic: Leopold and Loeb Trial 1924

RQ: Why did Leopold and Loeb committed the crime of killing Bobbie Franks?

Sources: Loebs psychiatric examination (homicide.northwestern.edu/docs_fk/homicide/5866/LoebExamination.pdf), Leopolds psychiatric examination (homicide.northwestern.edu/docs_fk/homicide/5866/LeopoldPsychiatric.pdf), Loebs statement during the hearing (homicide.northwestern.edu/docs_fk/homicide/5866/LoebStatement.pdf), Leopolds statement (homicide.northwestern.edu/docs_fk/homicide/5866/LeopoldStatement.pdf), Leopold and Loeb case description and conclusions for future attorneys (darrow.law.umn.edu/trialpdfs/LEOPOLD_LOEB.pdf), Psychiatric testimony of Leopold and Loeb (law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/leoploeb/psychiatrictestimony.html)

I'm somewhat in favor of the second one and compare the motives of the two defendants but I can't really decide because I bet that my mind has completely changed by the next morning. So, what do you think?

Edited September 8, 2012 by maximilian

[Emmi]

Even though the second one sounds more interesting, I don't think it really sounds "history" enough to do for your history IA, unless it led to a really major event, piece of legislation being passed, etc.

The first one sounds like it could be a good IA (and it sounds relatively interesting). The only thing is that it might end up being a little too broad including both the equipment and the structures, so this is what I would suggest: research both if you haven't already, but whichever you have more information for use in your IA (either equipment or structures). If you find that you covered everything for one of the topics and still have a bunch of words left over, then perhaps include the other one. But the thing is in your history IA, only about half of the 2000 word word count is actually going towards evidence and analyzing. The remaining parts are introducing it and telling the plan, doing OPVL, and then concluding. There's really not a lot of extra room to work with, so ideally you'd like to give yourself all the words you can for one topic. But if you've discussed everything about one of them and can still get a good argument in for the other one with the remaining word count, by all means go ahead.

[maximilian]

I have just worked on all the documents regarding the war of 1812 but I don't think that I get enough reliable information to draw conclusions on either the structure or the equipment of British and American forces. And as previously mentioned, my head just decided to come up with different topics and I really can't decide upon a topic.

What's currently in my head are: Was Malcolm X true when he claimed John F. Kennedy's death to be a case of "chickens coming home to roost"?

This would involve an analysis of the political situation and the suppression of Black Americans, since "chickens coming home to roost" meant that the voilence Kennedy failed to stop had come back to him, under Kennedy's presidency.

What do you think?