This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
introduction [2015/09/18 15:35] prcadmin |
introduction [2015/09/21 04:14] |
||
---|---|---|---|
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
- | =====Introduction==== | ||
- | |||
- | **Background and rationale for this wiki** | ||
- | |||
- | Conducting research and fieldwork in China and on PRC history is in a constant state of flux. Accessibility and availability of sources changes rapidly. As of September 2015, however, there has been no concerted attempt to create a central space for scholars to remain up to date with these changes and the current situation, or to easily share with others recent experiences they may have had. Starting new projects or planning research trips often feels like a game of chance for many: will an archive be open to the public? Will I find anything on the topic I'm looking for, will they let me see anything? Are there new databases, websites of sources, or other avenues I can peruse? Where can I get what I need, and if I can't get it then what should I do next or where should I go? In some unfortunate cases, the political situation in the ground in China changes so drastically in a short period of time that an archive, database, website, or other resource becomes inaccessible between the time a project is proposed and when it's funded. The goal of a wiki written and maintained by current researchers and scholars in the field is largely to help remedy these issues by providing the most up to date information possible. | ||
- | |||
- | In addition to these issues, it is high time that a website such as this exist. There is currently no central resource discussing how to research PRC history. Many scholars today initially learned how to research through graduate seminars that included perusing guides for researching Chinese history written by Endymion Wilkinson and Harriet T. Zurndorfer. Both of these guides continue to be useful for understanding Chinese-language historical research more broadly, but they do not include sections that pertain specifically to PRC history. Scholars of Chinese history have used the web as a space for accessing journal articles, book reviews, electronic books, library catalogs, and online databases (often through their affiliation with a specific library or university) at least since the late 1990s. These resources have all been and continue to be immensely helpful. In the 2000s, the UCSD Chinese history program created and maintained a website specifically for those studying " | ||
- | |||
- | **In the future...** | ||
- | It is likely that at some point in the future this wiki will no longer be the best platform for delivering timely information and allowing users to update it. The admin of this site is always open to suggestions or ideas for what a future site would look like and how it would function. | ||
- | |||
- | |||