First of all, let me introduce Tirabassi’s four principles before I explain how these golden-principles helped me with my research plans.
- Principle of selectivity: the researcher’s understanding of how archivists select and omit artifacts for a given collection.
- Principle if cross-referencing: the practice of searching across documents for contextual traces that clarify an archival document’s rhetorical situation or that confirmed, corroborate, clarify, contradict a fact or point cited in a given document.
- Principle of categorization: the development of keywords and finding aids that help researchers access information in the archive.
- Principle of closure: the researcher’s understanding that there are inherent gaps in archival records and that while the archive is complex and rich, it cannot be searched exhaustively. Finding the ending point or knowing when to make an exit is an essential part of archival research.
Above all are Tirabassi’s four principles of how to make research in an archives and I am going to inject these four principles into the topic I chose.
There is a picture at Santa Clara University’s library: a girl was holding a newspaper while the newspaper was announcing the news to everyone: TRADITION SHATTERED. And a question was also raised in that picture: Did you know? Santa Clara University first became co-ed in 1961. This is picture totally attracted my attention and suddenly I became so desperate that I wanted to figure out what happened at that time.
Obviously, if I want to have a clear and accurate idea about this event, I need to do a lot of research which means a great amount of reading. I felt confused and scared when I first walked into the archives at the library; there were so many files, documents, newspaper, books and letters I need to read to figure out what happened before and after that special year-1961. And there were also numerous of questions in my mind: Why Santa Clara University became co-ed in 1961? Why 1961? How did people react after they were told this news? Luckily, these principles offered me a clear and useful guidance about what I should do in the archives.
- Principle of selectivity: I realized that I needed to select the sources which would be necessary and useful in my research. There were too much information in the archives to appear in my research. What I have to do was focus on the information that can answer my questions and collected the useful information together.
- Principle if cross-referencing: When I was doing the research, I found out that there was something mentioned by the president of the university, or mentioned by the local newspaper was blurred. There was no detailed statement about these information so it became difficult for a researcher like me to understand the situation at that time. For example: the president of Santa Clara University in 1961 told the newspaper that allowing girls to attend Santa Clara University was also good for economy. And he never explained why Santa Clara University needed much more money than before, But, as a researcher. if I want to make a complete, reasonable, and detailed research of the topic I selected, it was my responsibility to try to find the accurate answers not only for myself, but also for my readers; there is no way that I can just leave this problem like that. So I checked a book called “the history of Santa Clara University” and I especially paid attention on the events which were couple years before 1961. This book provided me the answer I need: The number of the students in SCU doubled during that time, so Santa Clara University was in great need to enlarge and expand the campus. But, at that time the economy was not optimistic because of the wars so it became extremely hard for SCU to get the fund supporting. The whole economy issue then became one the factors which caused SCU to change its policy; The tuition from females can be used to expand the college.
- Principle of categorization: Because the information in the archives were rich, so it was normal that many files will not be necessary for me to use in my research. In order to make my research process more effective, I ignored some files directly, like: SCU academic progress, SCU sports development.
- Principle of closure: As a researcher that I need to realize that researching may never have an ending. So I need to make the decision that when I can stop collecting and gathering the data and start to analyze and organize it. It’s true that the more valuable data showed up in the research report, the more detailed and excellent the report can be. But, it is vital for me to find the balance. I stopped the research when I made sure that I had found enough sources to explain the whole event.
Tirabassi’s four principles offered me a clear direction to my whole research process and they definitely made my process become more effective.
Enough for today’s blog. And here comes my best blessing to all my readers and everyone:
And btw, not only every night;
Let’s make it every single day!!!