Pandemic Projects - HIST 2112 - Chiero: Pick a Topic

Settling on a topic can be one of the hardest tasks a new researcher can face. On the one hand, a topic which is too broad can be hard to handle because you may find too much information on it. On the other hand, a topic which is too narrow can be hard because you won't be able to find enough! It's important to balance these out with a topic which is just right. This may take some time looking at different information on a wide variety of topics in order to pick the right one. This is called background research.

One good thing is you already know the general direction of your topic: it must be about some pandemic or epidemic in American history. From here, you can do some background research to understand the basics of this topic (i.e. the disease) and determine which areas you need to do in-depth research.

Another important part of starting out is reviewing your assignment and making sure you understand the parameters. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. How long does it have to be?
2. How many outside sources must you incorporate?
3. What types of sources do you need? (academic journal articles, books, primary sources, etc.)
4. Does it matter where they come from? (history-specific sources, books vs. journals, etc.)
5. Did your professor give you a topic or can you choose one on your own?
6. What is the timeline for the project?

If you are unsure, you should ask your professor for clarification. You need all this information in order to properly research your topic.

Below is a small sampling of websites that give background information about certain diseases that have impacted American history. 

Consider the following as you think about these topics from a historical perspective:

• Who is associated with the disease? 
• Did contracting/having it have cultural or social ramifications?
• What was the government response?
• How was public opinion affected?
• What social, cultural, political, etc. changes took place as a result?
• If a cure or vaccination was developed: how was it produced? How was it distributed? Who received it?
• What kinds of educational campaigns were created in order to inform people? Were they effective?

These kinds of questions get deeper at the historical significance of diseases in American history. In order to answer these, you need more than basic information from a website--- you need primary sources and in-depth historical research to help get a fuller, contextualized view.