STUDY UNIT 5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

USING SOURCES AND ESAY WRITING TEQUNIQUE

A. OVERVIEW

1. THIS UNIT DEALS WITH PICKING THE BEST SOURCES FOR YOUR SITAUTION AND USING
THEM TO THE BEST EFFECT

B. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

1. NOT KNOWING THE NATURE OF THE SOURCE WILL RESULT IN YOU USING IT IN AN
INAPPROPRIATE WAY AND NOT WRITING AN ORIGINAL AND BALANCED ASSIGNMENT

2. PRIMARY SOURCES

2.1 ARE FIRST HAND SOURCES

2.2 COME FROM THE ACTUAL TIME OF THE TOPIC UNDER STUDY

2.3 HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION WITH THE TOPIC UNDER STUDY OR

2.4 MUST ACTUALLY BE THE TOPIC UNDER STUDY?

2.5 DEFINED AS CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNTS AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

2.6 EXAMPLES

2.6.1 SUBJECT: MUSICAL WORKS

 RECORDINGS

 PERFORMANCE

 A SCORE

 A NEWSPAPER REPORT (WITHOUT COMMENT OR

INTEPRETATION) BY SOMEONE WHO WAS PRESENT

 FIELDWORK OBSERVATIONS

2.6.2 SUBJECT: A MUSICIAN

 THE MUSICIAN THEMSELVES AND WORDS THEY HAVE SAID

THEMSELVES

 IN THEIR OWN WRITING

  IN INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY RESEARCHERS OR
REPORTERS

3. SECONDARY SOURCES

3.1 ARE PRODUCED USING PRIMARY SOURCES

3.2 ARE ABOUT THE PRIMARY SOURCE: THEY INTEPRET THE PRIMARY SOURCE
IN SOME WAY I.E THEY PROVIDE IDEAS AND OPINIONS ON A SUBJECT

3.3 CAN BE WRITTEN AT ANY TIME

3.4 EXAMPLES

3.4.1 SUBJECT: MUSICAL WORKS

 A BOOK, ARTICLE OR INTERNET SITE ABOUT THE MUSIC

3.4.2 SUBJECT: A MUSICAN

 BOOKS AND ARTICLES ABOUT THE MUSICIAN

 PROGRAMME NOTES FROM CONCERTS

4. YOU MUST USE BOTH KINDS OF SOURCES: YOU NEED TO CHECK THE PRIMARY SOURCE
TO SEE IF YOU AGREE WITH THE SECONDARY SOURCE AND YOU NEED TO IMMERSE
YOURSELF IN THE MUSIC IE HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH IT.

5. IN MUSICOLOGY MUSIC ITSELF IS OFTEN THE PRIMARY SOURCE (AN ORIGINAL

DOCUMENT), AND IF SEEN AS AN EVENT EXISTING ONLY WHEN IT IS PLAYED IT
THERFORE NECESSITATES FIELDWORK

6. GREY AREAS WHEN CATEGORISING MUSIC AS A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SOURCE (THE

EPHEMERAL NATURE OF MUSIC COMPLICATES THE ISSUE AND CREATES PARADOXES)

6.1 CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCES OF MUSIC WRITTEN LONG AGO

 FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES IT IS OFTEN USEFUL TO REGARD THESE

AS PRIMARY SOURCES

6.2 SCORES PUBLISHED AND EDITED AFTER THE COMPOSITION OF A WORK

C. URTEXT SCORES

1. A TERM USED IN STUDYING AND EDITING MUSICAL SOURCES TO SIGNIFY

1.1 THE EARLIEST VERSION OF THE TEXT OF ANY COMPOSITION, MUSICAL OR

OTHERWISE

1.2 A MODERN EDITION OF EARLIER MUSIC WHICH PURPORTS TO PRESENT THE

ORIGINAL TEXT WITHOUT EDITORIAL ADDITION AR EMENDATION.

D. HOW TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUTING A SECONDARY SOURCE

1. AGE

1.1 THE EMPHASIS AND ANGLE OF MORE RECENT BOOKS WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM
OLDER BOOKS BECAUSE CONTINUED RESEARCH HAS CHANGED OUR KNOWLEDGE
AND APPROACH AS WE GAIN A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE AND IORN OUT
INNACCURACIES AND INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS.

1.2 TRY TO USE AS UP TO DATE SOURCES AS POSSIBLE THAT RELECTS CONTEMPORARY

(NEW) MUSICOLOGICAL THINKING.

1.3 SOME SOURCES STILL REMAIN RELEVANT HOWEVER EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE OLD
BECAUSE THEY ARE “LANDMARK” WORKS AND REMAIN IMPORTANT

1.4 AGE ALSO AFFECTS SOURCE RECORDINGS SINCE IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON HOW
THE MUSIC IS PLAYED BECAUSE THE STYLES AND THOUGHTS OF THE TIME WILL
INTERACT WITH THE MUSIC.

STEPS TO TAKE TO COMPILE A LIST OF INFORMATION SOURCES

ANALYSISE AND INTEPRET WHAT IS REQURIRED UNDERSTAND THE NEED

DEFINE THE TERMS NOT UNDERSTOOD

LOCATE THE INFORMATION

USING

LIBRARY CATALOUGUE OASIS

DATABASES

REFERENCE SOURCES
ACCESS POINTS SUBJECT HEADINGS AND KEYWORDS
USE SUBJECT SEARCH
RELEVANCY
SELECT THE INFORMATION

SUBJECT DICTIONARIES
REFERENCE WORKS
EVALUATE

FACTS

NON FACTS
ASSUMPTIONS
OPINION
VIEWPOINT

PEER REVIEWD
CURRENT
TRUSTWORTHY