Jordan Scott – Blog post reflection
What have been the major obstacles you have faced in putting a research project together?
Before my initial research into primary sources, I was aware of the difficulties that may occur due to the scarcity of the sources. During the research period, I was not shocked at the difficulties of acquiring information from medieval chronicles and sagas. Reading into the historiography was a difficult task as there are multiples theories, contradictions, and criticisms throughout the literature. Though this was necessary to eradicate false claims and bias from past scholars.
What strategies have you adopted to overcome these obstacles?
Firstly, addressing the vertical and horizontal methods of conversion and finding the literature to support my answer was a concerning obstacle of mine. From researching the independent factors of conversion, I established the factors I wanted to analyse and discuss (e.g., political, geographical, societal economic, and religious) From doing this I find my reading skills have improved from analysing such literature. This has also improved my proofreading in the process. I find my methods of accessing such literature have also improved by finding new sites containing academic literature.
What has this taught you about approaching your dissertation?
The use of relevant sources cornering the context of Norway at the time is vital for me giving a correct narrative of the history in my dissertation. Consistent research into both primary and secondary sources must be achieved to eradicate unproved facts and events that may influence my argument in the wrong way. I must use appropriate methodological approaches in order to gather the information. The use of textual analysis, comparative and oral history theories are all important to achieve this.
Which aspects of the 9X6 module have been the most useful in helping you get your project ready to start?
Overall, I am thankful for the support and learning experiences from the lecturer and tutors who supported me in finding my question and assisting in any way they could. The module goals were very clear in every aspect of creating and planning a dissertation. I also learned new approaches to my dissertation from the set assignments and reading blog posts from other students.