Help Wanted: Truth Seeker Seeks to Develop Primary Source Research Skills

[bodixa]

Hi all

I wonder if you could help me.

For a while I've wanted to spend a little time improving my research skills to help with my own 'truth seeking'. I get a little frustrated that with so much of this research now being internet-based that we may be in danger of losing some good basic skills for good research.

Much of the information available online might already be addressing a pre-exisiting agenda, or based on multiple sources, none of which I can personally verify easily.

I'd like to better equip myself with good research skills and the ability to use primary sources as the main body of research.

Let's say that Primary Sources might include: (Note: this is by no means exhaustive)

Vital Records: eg Birth Marriage Death records,
Military Records,
Land Records,
Census,
Original newspaper reports (possibly)
Witness testimony
Financial Records
Original Photographs and Video
Artefacts
Ancient Manuscripts
Building Plans
Records of membership and affiliation
Legal Records
Many other paper-based written records..


and so on....

So here's where I need help:

I want to choose a subject that I can research from more or less from scratch using only, or as much as possible, primary and (if necessary) secondary sources .

I want you to help me choose which subject to go at and I'd like you to share your own good practices and methodologies for this kind of research.

It has to be in the UK and easy for me to travel to the locations of sources.



And here's what I'll do:


Every step of the way I'll outline my methods, sources and findings and post the results here.


At the end of it, I'd like for us to have improved our skills and have a unique piece of research that will add something of value to the body of work our there. And we can post it on the internet with all our sources and methods clearly outlined.

So, would anyone like to come on this journey with me?

:spy:


(p.s. I already accept that in many cases there is a fine line between primary and secondary sources.)

[butcherman]

well done imagine a world without computers how can we free our selfs from the machine we all need to meet and regally . imagine if the light went out where would we be .

[buckminster fuller]

Hi bodixa

I really think it is a good idea. In this thread : http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?15249-United-People-an-Alternative-World-Order started by chicodoodoo, we're trying to organize things a bit. Being able to bring clear, substantiated evidence in the light is one thing we'll have to do. Methodology is needed here and you seem to be on the right track.
Here is a few subjects that will need to be researched and proved, taken from Chico first (yet brilliant) go at a declaration:

"There is a very long list of existing actions that violate the natural rights of common people and makes
the unification and organization of all human beings necessary and proper. Here are some:

The orchestration of numerous wars for gain and profit.
The poisoning of humanity by way of depleted uranium munitions.
The genocide of people for political, ideological, or economic reasons.
The monopolization of communications to control information and minds.
The manufactured illusion of self-government when there is very little.
The manufactured illusion of freedom when there is very little.
The manufactured illusion of privacy when there is very little.
The manufacturing of illusions for control of various populations.
The deliberate manufacture and release of disease agents and organisms.
The deliberate distribution of “medications” designed to maim, kill, or control.
The suppression of important information regarding non-terrestrial life.
The corruption of systems like money, health care, food production, and entertainment for purposes of selfish gain or control.
The genetic re-engineering of destructive life forms for selfish gain or control.
The clandestine manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs for selfish gain or control.
The destructive manipulation of the natural environment that sustains all life."

Peace

[buffski]

Brilliant idea!!!
particularly like the notion of producing a piece of research. Let me get my thinking Cap on and I'll come back to you with some ideas.
Great to see somebody with a zest for improving research skills. Do you have a particular area in mind where you feel you would benefit from the learning process involved with such a project?
Buffski x

[bodixa]

Brilliant idea!!!
particularly like the notion of producing a piece of research. Let me get my thinking Cap on and I'll come back to you with some ideas.
Great to see somebody with a zest for improving research skills. Do you have a particular area in mind where you feel you would benefit from the learning process involved with such a project?
Buffski x


Not really... There are some areas that I would do better at than others - from Buckminster's List I could look at a specific element of one of these ones below:


The monopolization of communications to control information and minds.
The manufactured illusion of self-government when there is very little.
The manufactured illusion of freedom when there is very little.
The manufactured illusion of privacy when there is very little.
The suppression of important information regarding non-terrestrial life.

But I want to hear as many suggestions as poss.

I think it needs to be quite specific...not too general...

Thanks Buffski!

[Gardener]

Bodixa
Do you have a university nearby, usually you can access uni libraries via your local library. They are part of the 'system' but they still have enormous depth which is accessible by digging. I once tried to find an old paper about a british aristocrat, I was researching psycopathy at the time., It took a few months but in the end the library search found the paper, one copy existed, and it was in the British Library in London, they sent me a copy. (I never left the uni library). The paper had been reference in an old book, I took it from there.
Its not something I could get into right now even though I would love to.


g

[bodixa]

Yes - access to an excellent University Library - thanks for that! Always good knowing libraries will help you find stuff and then send a copy...

:)

[cowens66]

This is a great idea and I will be watching to see how you progress and learning from your experience.

If you choose one of Buckminster's list items but want to get more specific with that you could research a person or persons known to be involved in the activity. That could hlep narrow your focus.

Just one idea. I'm sure you'll get many more. Connie

[Meesh]

Colleges (including community colleges) and universities also have databases that are not available to the general public. They are expensive for the institutions to purchase and are only available to students. If you are not a student yourself, perhaps you have a family member who is? If so, that person could search in these databases for you.

[bodixa]

Thanks for the comments so far - I'm going to narrow it down...

[KosmicKat]

If I may suggest? Spend a little time thinking about the area where you live. Are there questions you have never quite taken the time to answer about the area? Are there places you find yourself repeatedly drawn to? These might be starting points for a deeper investigation.

[InCiDeR]

Before accepting a certain knowledge, you have to investigate where it comes from. Do you know where the "knowledge" that you read in encyclopedia comes from, when it was released, how it became and by whose hands?
More importantly, who controlled those hands documenting it?
I am saying this with the best of intentions.
If you knew it, you might reconsider its value.

Investigate the roots of what you read and see for yourself. Knowledge does not just appear out of nothing, it is passed on, always...there are no exceptions.

Recollect everything you used to know, devalue the things which were taught to you since you forgot the former and return.

1. Trust no one
2. Trust no source
3. Trust not your ground beliefs
4. Trust yourself, your judgement and your spirit
5. Truth is not hidden. It is all around us.
6. Cleanse and repeat.

Wish you the best of luck / InCiDeR

[bodixa]

Just revisited this and there are some lovely responses :)

Kosmic Kat - I like that idea - something local.

Have had too busy a week... need to start thinking again.