Prof. Jan Hua-Henning began by offering a brief introduction to historical research. For students who are not familiar with historical research methods, he distinguished between primary and secondary sources. Students then shared some examples of primary and secondary sources.
To offer a case study in primary source research and analysis, Prof. Hua-Henning delved into a previous project focusing on tuberculosis across the 19th century. He traced different historical understandings of disease etiology, showing how people initially perceived tuberculosis as a hereditary, rather than infectious, disease. Prof. Hua-Henning focused especially on tuberculosis among African-American communities. Using primary sources, he examined disease-related stigma and perceptions of racial susceptibility. His research showed the dangers of blame and stigma in public health, especially when they are targeted toward vulnerable and minority populations.
The presentation then shifted to a discussion of 3 main historical databases which could be used to carry out historical research similar to the tuberculosis project. The first research demonstration focused on the “Chronicling America” database. Prof. Jan Hua-Henning showed how to experiment with different key words to find relevant primary source articles. The second research example highlighted the “HarpWeek” database, which provides access to Harper’s Weekly, a widely read magazine in the late nineteenth century. Lastly, Prof. Hua-Henning demonstrated how to conduct research using the “American Historical Newspapers” website. To further facilitate student research, he concluded by showing common search modifiers which can greatly enhance search results in online primary source databases.
Students then used the databases to locate some examples of primary sources. After reading their sources, they discussed the implications of each source.
