Second Post- 24 May 2024

    This week I began reading my assigned article and checking the syntax of its footnotes. The article is very interesting, and I have learned a great deal about the lives of rural women in early 20th century Florida. The subject matter I am covering also spans several critical decades in Floridian and American history, so it is fascinating to be able to see what kind of effects these changes, such as the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II, had on daily life for rural Floridian women. Though much of women's advancement can be attributed to social movements, it is also interesting to learn about the more subtle ways that women worked to gain economic independence.

    I have had some trouble with regards to copy editing the article's footnotes. Many of the sources do not seem to be online so I cannot double check them with the UCF library to ensure that they are done correctly. Thankfully, I have the Chicago Manual of Style on hand so that I can double check the footnotes with that. This takes a bit more time, but I do not mind, as I anticipated the work being a bit tedious going into this project. Though I am eager to begin copy editing the text itself, it is a relief that I am not going directly into this just yet, starting as I am with the footnotes. This experience has already led to many questions arising regarding the functionality of theses in journal articles as opposed to in standard essays. Journal articles can, I have learned, often be more straightforward in their approach, as their function is not necessarily to persuade but to inform. Sometimes the most important objective of submitting an article is to ensure that a certain story gets told, rather than making some new argument about how history ought  to be viewed. There is certainly a place in academic spaces for the latter, but, to my understanding, they belong more in the realm of dissertations and essays in the study of history.

    On Friday I met with Dr. Lester and my fellow interns to discuss the ongoing project. I was happy to see that everyone seems to be making steady progress and that we all seem to be on the same page. It is certainly helpful to have others to talk to who are doing the same work as I am in case any questions or difficulties arise. Many of my classes have been very individual in their approach, which I certainly don't mind, however, it can be refreshing to get to talk to other people who are interested and engaged in the same kinds of study that I am. It is also helpful having regular access to the professor for clarification. Big projects such as these tend to be hard to segment, so having these resources will, I think, help me a great deal.