Introduction Using media in research Evaluating digital media Images Audio Video Talk About It Your Turn

Tech Tool in this presentation• National Archives Web site

Digital Image, Audio, and Video Resources

Have you ever struggled to visualize an image or imagine a sound described in a text?

Introduction

Images, audio clips, and video clips can clarify complex ideas by providing examples that you can see and hear.

“The atmosphere is an ocean of air held in place by gravity, extending from the surface to an altitude of hundreds of kilometers, the edge of space.”

Digital media—audio, image, and video files that are accessible through a computer—can present you with sights and sounds related to your research topic.

You also can use digital media in a multimedia presentation to inform and engage your audience.

Digital media can serve as valuable primary sources of information. Primary sources give you firsthand information about a historical research topic.

Primary sources available in digital format can include

Photographs of people, places, or events related to historical research topics

Audio recordings of famous speeches, debates, newscasts, or artistic performances

Video recordings of historic events such as battles, hearings, meetings, demonstrations, or rallies

The Internet contains a vast amount of digital media of varying levels of quality. As with any research source, you must evaluate digital media for accuracy and credibility.

By using high-quality digital media in your research project, you will ensure that your audience takes your work seriously.

Using media in research

As you search for digital media, use the following criteria to evaluate image, audio, and video sources.

Digital media sources should be:

Credible: Search for sources on reliable Web sites such as those affiliated with government agencies or educational institutions.

Relevant: Choose sources that pertain directly to your topic and avoid those that simply dress up your project.

Informative: Select sources that build upon, rather than repeat, the information presented in your research paper.

Image sources such as photographs, illustrations, cartoons, and paintings can capture your audience’s attention and add valuable information to your project.

Evaluating digital mediaImages

You could use historical photographs to supplement a project on President Roosevelt’s New Deal program.

From this photograph, viewers learn that

You can glean many informative details from a single image. This photograph shows students in an adult education class created under the New Deal.

Evaluating digital mediaImages

Adults of varying ages received education under the New Deal.

Men and women attended the same adult education classes.

Adult education classes took place in traditional classrooms.

Is the source credible?

Is the image relevant to the research topic?

Does the image inform viewers about the topic?

Study the historical photograph at right. Answer the questions to evaluate the image.

Evaluating digital mediaImages

Source: www.archives.gov

Yes, the source is from a reliable government Web site.

Yes, the photograph shows farm workers affected by New Deal programs.

Yes, the image conveys the desperation felt by many farm families during this period.

You can use your favorite search engine to find audio files for your research project.

Audio sources such as podcasts and audio files can bring your research to life by allowing your audience to hear actual recordings of speeches, debates, newscasts, or performances.

Evaluating digital mediaAudio

Is the source credible?

Does the audio source inform viewers about the topic?

Is the audio source relevant to the research topic?

Evaluate this audio clip excerpt featuring President Roosevelt discussing New Deal programs in a speech.

Evaluating digital mediaAudio

Yes, the Web site is affiliated with a major university.

Yes, the speech focuses on specific programs created under the New Deal.

Yes, the speech provides Roosevelt’s insights about several New Deal programs. Play audio:

Video sources such as webcasts and video clips combine images and a soundtrack to help your audience experience sights and sounds related to your topic.

Evaluating digital mediaVideo

You can use a free media player such as RealPlayer to search for video clips relevant to your research topic.

Evaluate this video clip describing some of the work done in West Virginia as part of New Deal programs.

Evaluating digital mediaVideo

Is the source credible?

Is the video clip relevant to the research topic?

Does the video clip inform viewers about the topic?

Yes, it seems to be a clip of authentic footage taken during the New Deal era.

Yes, the video describes specifics and benefits of several New Deal projects undertaken in West Virginia.

Yes, the video is relevant because it gives authentic images and information related to my topic.

Play videoCourtesy QualityInformationPublishers.com

The National Archives Web site preserves primary source documents created by the United States Federal government.

America’s founding documents, such as the Constitution

Military records of U.S. veterans

Links to the libraries of former U.S. presidents

Image, audio, and video files relating to topics in U.S. history

Its collection includes:

The National Archives Web site is an excellent online source for a historical research project.

The Web site contains vast holdings of primary source documents.

Because the archives are managed by a government agency, researchers know the sources are reliable.

Archivists have organized information by topic and format to make it accessible to researchers.

The Web site includes resources created specifically for students.

The National Archives has tailored its Web site for use by student researchers and other groups.

On the home page, click Educators and Students.

You will find information about searching the archives and links to other helpful online resources.

To begin your research, check the online exhibits to see whether your topic is represented. These exhibits are constantly changing and cover a wide range of topics.

Many of the online exhibits include documents, images, audio files, and video files.

Don’t worry if your topic is not included in an online exhibit! You can search the archives easily.

The Archival Research Catalog, or ARC, is a search engine you can use to find sources in the archives.

From the main search page, you can

Search by keywords relating to your topic

View search results for popular research topics

Browse the newest additions to the archives

Read tips for student researchers

The ARC features a gallery called Primary Sources for Educators and Students. This collection contains digital sources organized by eras in U.S. history.

Searching this gallery can save you time in your research by helping you concentrate on relevant sources quickly.

You can also search the National Archives by source type, using the links under Research By Format.

Select On-Line Resources to focus your search on digital sources.

Talk About It

Discuss these questions with your classmates.

1. How can the quality of your digital media sources affect how your audience responds to your project?

2. Have you ever used audio or video sources in a research project? How helpful were these sources?

3. If you are doing research that includes government records, why should you check the online exhibits of the National Archives before conducting other searches?

4. Which feature of the National Archives Web site do you find most useful? Explain.

Your Turn

Use the National Archives to locate an image, audio file, and video clip relevant to a historical research subject dating from 1930 or later. Possibilities include:

• a former U.S. president

• a specific era of U.S. history such as World War II or the Vietnam War

Write a paragraph evaluating the sources you found. Explain why your sources are credible, relevant, and informative.