Historical Research Methods: Strengths and Weaknesses

Historical Research Methods: Strengths and Weaknesses What are the strengths and limitations of using biography, autobiography and oral history as historical sources? The combination of autobiography, biography and oral history is enrichment to the study of history through placing an emphasis on the role that personalities and individuals have in historical events.   They form important sources for historical study both primary and secondary. It has been claimed that the relative merits of biography and oral history, although intrinsically flawed, are an essential element in the writing and study of history. Oral history as a source can conceivably be controversial because it could be perceived as unreliable and mercurial.   Memory and the passage of time can intentionally or unintentionally, distort or omit details; seeming spontaneity in response can be over-elaborate or exaggerate an individuals contribution; oral dialogue can personalise events and confirm them but a personal perspective could also diminish and simplify the same events.   Interviews, despite possible lack of detail, lapses of memory and tricks of the imagination, give ac cess to a valuable historical source which could create a lost world. History is not just an evaluation of causes and consequences; it is also a study of human nature.   Autobiography, biography and oral history can give illustration and colour to what could be perceived as a dry and dusty subject.   They can add personal insight into an event and because of this they can also be unreliable.   They can modify or distort the truth according to the authors motives for writing the piece or agreeing to the interview. It could be argued that history is a record of human progress, achievements and endeavours so without the contribution of personalised accounts whether through oral recordings, biography or autobiography, the study and analysis of history would be a one-dimensional digest of facts.   History without some personal focus would be tedious and unbalanced; personal records prompt deeper historical reflection and research. Biography It is hard for the biographer, for instance, to rise above his own preconceptions and be truly objective. Biographies should be used as sources but it always should be borne in mind that they are often subjectively and not always objectively written. The one of the strengths of using biographies are that there is a direct focus on an event and the biographer might give an event more depth and detail than a general history book would and perhaps give it a human slant. Biographers can be biased, they are sometimes said to fall in love with their subjects. Whilst this maybe an exaggeration there is some truth in the fact that it is hard to be objective about a subject that the writer has analysed in depth and feels they understand.   Biographers are selective through necessity as no biography can ever be a full unvarnished story of a life.   In this selection the biographer has to make a decision as to whether he is judgemental or whether he presents a selection of facts from which his reader can form their own opinion of the subject.   In presenting such a selection, the biographer will be allowing his own views and background colour his choice. It is the attempt to be even-handed with the subject of the biography that can cause controversy as the biographer is accused of rehabilitating historys villains on one hand or denigrating its heroes on the other. Revisionist theories about notorious historical figures can cause outcry and condemnation as was well illustrated by David Irvings biography of Adolf Hitler. Even with all the problems, they still are a good source of information and the reader should always consider other books about the same person if they are unsure of the treatment of the subject matter. The wisest thing to do is to cross reference biographies/history books and use more than one source, in order to get a better and more informed opinion. Autobiography Autobiography can provide unique insights since nobody knows better than the subject about themselves. On the other hand they can be economical with the truth or written to cause sensation; the facts could be skewed because the writer will not doubt be attempting to present himself in the best light. It is also probable that only one point of view of events will be given so the account might not be well-balanced. That being said, autobiography is a good first source of information.

Ancient History Essay

Queens played great roles during the period of New kingdom Egypt. They were known as the Great Royal Wife’s of the pharaohs and contributed politically, religiously and diplomatically influencing the roles of women during this period, and even future queens. Queen Tiye was an important influence on new kingdom Egypt and was the key wife of Amenhotep III and they ruled a peaceful reign. Tiye was the daughter of Yuya which was a officer in the chariotry, priest of min and Tuya (chief of harem of Amun and min) which both had Nubian royal blood origins. Married at a young age, one year after he became pharaoh and gave her the title Great royal wife. Also gave birth to arkhenaten and other children. She greatly shaped foreign relations, religion and politics at the time. She also was greatly altered depictions of the queen in art. She was well educated, competent and complementary rather than dependant on her spouse Amenhotep III impacting the role of women during the period. Historian Robins highlights that the â€Å"king could renew himself through female principle†¦ important ritual roles† proving the queen was of key importance to the pharaoh. Tiye was Represented as the same size as her husband Amenhotep III and was considered to be a traditional queen. She was a leading figure in solar theology however more untraditional inclined changes came with iconography during her time as Great Royal Wife becoming increasingly equal to that of her husband. This proposed the idea that the role of the queen was becoming progressively more important, therefore the depiction of her in equal proportions to her husband suggests that the roles were becoming split between the pharaoh and the queen. Unlike other queens she was also frequently present in his monuments. She was besides her husband amenhotep III colossal statue in the Medinet Habu temple located in Western Thebes and was also the same size representing her equality. The cobra depicted them as powerful gods. She was glorified and praised by Amenhotep III which is proven by him building her the largest man-made pleasure lake in history, erecting a beautiful palace at one end. Art also depicted her in family scenes which previously were regarded as too intimate such as being Arm in arm(statues). Through the roles of Tiye, future queens Nefertiti and Nefertari we are able to observe the changing roles of queens influenced them and clearing path for them. The kings built temples to honour them and depicted them as goddesses. Queen Tiye played a great religious role and according to Historian Nicholas Grimal she was the personification of Maat goddess of justice and truth. She was also depicted as goddess ta weret in statues representing fertility and motherhood (mother of Egyptians). A temple was also dedicated to her in Sedianga(Nubia) meaning she was worshiped as a goddess. Commemorative and marriage scarabs were made for her publicising their marriage and promoting the pharaonic cult as everyone that attended received one meaning they would be remembered. She also participated in religious festivals such as the Sed festival. She also served as a priestess within Amun-Re suggesting that her religious roles were not extensive yet they were still an increase on the contributions to that of her predecessors. A Khan Academy Documentary by Beth Harris shows a headdress worn by Tiye that included horns solar disk, referring to the religion Atenism which is monotheistic and regal promoting the god Aten. Horns and Feathers on headdress also related to the goddess Hathor. Tiye Served for 50 years as queen advocating political stability, which was widespread and when Amenhotep III was ill she also maintained this stability. She was portrayed as the Sphinx in a pharonic stance which is evident in Tefnut. Meaning similar to the Sphinx Tiye hunts and protects people Egypt. A Steven Khan academy documentary highlighted Tiye’s stable ruling and the fact that she was important and knowledgeable, therefore her son Akhenaten depended on her and respected her, having her actively participate in politics and the affairs of royal court. She was respected and depended on, and in order to have her actively participate in politics and the affairs of the royal court, he elevated her to a goddess which is shown by the headdress she wore. (Same headdress mentioned above). Armana letters show her foreign and diplomatic power and that she conversed with hittites and mittani addressing diplomatic affairs which were a integral part of Tiye’s role and contribution. Evidence has made it clear that at least one foreign ruler wrote to her personally concerning matters of state and requesting her support. â€Å"Tushratta king of Mitanni† wrote to her personally(Amarna Letters) following death of her husband and other foreign rulers also wrote to her concerning matters of state or asking for support in requests for gold. Tushratta also wrote a letter to Queen Tiye after Akhenaten came to the throne, and in a later letter to Akhenaten, a reference to his mother is made in the opening paragraph outlining her importance to him. This illustrates the realisation of foreign powers regarding the growing importance and involvement of the queen concerning decision making in relation to Egypt, it also shows the power the queen was beginning to obtain over the pharaoh. She was also the first queen in Egypt to have name on official acts and announcement of the kings marriage to a foreign princess. The achievement, contributions and influence during the New kingdom period of Tiye differed according to their respective influences. Through the roles of Tiye, we are able to observe the changing roles of queens over time. Tiye was considered to be a traditional queen who greatly influenced queens to come by the power she held mainly politically and diplomatically. Over the time we are able to see that the roles had evolved . The roles contributions of queen Tiye during the new kingdom periods were defiantly an increase on that of queens before them, as they gained vital positions and roles as the Great Royal Wife and also achieved considerable increases in power over Egypt. Another influential Queen during this period was the wife of Akhenaten Nefertiti. She had a enormous influence on religion and politics in Egypt at the time. She was also depicted in art and played a vital role in her husbands reign and was given pharonic attributes. Nefertiti was seen to be more military minded, wearing the war crown and military skirts in images of her. She had a great religious role during the time while polytheistic tradition changed to a monotheistic ones. She supported the new monotheistic religion to such an extent that she changed her name to ‘Nefertieferuaten Nefertiti’. Many also believe she was the ‘brain’ behind the religious revolution. She Fully participated in religious ceremonies as seen in relics such as the Hewet-Benben temple in East Karnak. She made offerings to Aten like her husband and prayers were even offered to her. Nefertiti was the female principle of the trinity which the Egyptians prayed to, proving she was regarded as a god alongside Akhenaten and Aten. According to historian Anna Capel, Nefertiti wasn’t only a high priestess but acted as liaison between the people and Aten. Jimmy Dunn described them as the â€Å"primeval first pair† as Aten accessed through them influencing religion. Images of her as a goddess were found on the tomb of Akhenaten to protect him in the afterlife. In art depictions Nefertiti considered age of truth in natural state. Reliefs showed her in her natural state including her imperfections and showing her age. A new form of art by her also showed her in her natural state and allowed reveals of intimacy and informality, even affection and family scenes in which other queens had never been shown before. Her pharaonic power was shown as she was seen wearing crown of pharaohs which was regarded as controversial and contributed to the developing image of women in the royal family at the time which is a new form of art as highlighted by historian Jimmy Dunn. Politically Nefertiti was very powerful and had a great pharaonic role. Akhenaten stressed regalty by making her of equal power during processions. She was also depicted wearing the royal regalia and smiting enemies which proved her pharaonic role and was usually a symbol associated with the pharaoh. This influenced the image of women and queens during the time, impacting the traditional roles of queens, giving them more power. Many Historians such as John Harris agree that she shared a co-regency with Akhenaten towards the end of his reign, as the pharaoh Neferneferuaten as his equal. This is depicted by images of her Adjacent to Akhenaten as they received gifts. Historians also have a belief that her political role was so powerful that she was the successor Smenkhare. Nefertiti also had a diplomatic influence and was involved in political issues. This was shown through the letters of Amarna displaying communication with foreign kings and queens. She also received foreign tributes and envoys. This proves that she had the political power to interact and make vital diplomatic decisions influencing Egypt. In conclusion both Queens, Tiye and Nefertiti had vital contributions and impacts to New Kingdom Egypt as they played enormous religious, political and foreign roles and enhanced the equality between pharaohs and their queens and even women during the period.

Compiler

ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD (Department of Computer Science) WARNING 1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE. 2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT(S) BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN â€Å"AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY†. Course: Compiler Construction (3468)Semester: Autumn, 2012 Level: BS (CS)Total Marks: 100 ASSIGNMENT No. 1 Note: All questions carry equal marks. Q. 1(a)Define Compiler, using a diagram describes the three phases of analysis of source program. (b)Explain all the phases of Compiler. c)Consider the following grammar. S ? > XaYb X ? > bXc | b Y ? > dYa | d Find the first sets for each non-terminal of the given grammar. Q. 2(a)Explain the error detection and reporting mechanisms. (b)Write the intermediate representation code of the following position: = initial + rate * 60 Q. 3(a)Convert the following NFA into equivalent DFA using subset construction Algorithm. [pic] Note:Show all necessary steps that are involved in subset construction algorithm. (b) Convert the Following regular expression into NFA using Thompson’s construction. a ((b|b*c)d)* |d*a Q. 4(a)Given the following grammar. G > EE > T + E | T T > F * T | F F > a i) Is this grammar ambiguous? Explain! ii) Draw all parse trees for sentence â€Å"a+a*a+a†. (b) Consider the following grammar. S> A A> A+A | B++ B > y Draw parse tree for the input â€Å"y+++y++† Q. 5(a)Explain the role of the Lexical Analyzer and Parser in detail. (b)Differentiate between Top-down parsing and Bottom-up parsing. ASSIGNMENT No. 2 Total Marks: 100 Note: All questions carry equal marks. Q. 1(a)Rewrite the following SDT: A A {a} B | A B {b} | 0 B -> B {c} A | B A {d} | 1 so that the underlying grammar becomes non-left-recursive. Here, a, 6, c, and d are actions, and 0 and 1 are terminals. b)This grammar generates binary numbers with a â€Å"decimal† point: S-* L . L | L L-+LBB B -> 0 | 1 Design an L-attributed SDD to compute S. val, the decimal-number value of an input string. For example, the translation of string 101. 101 should be the decimal number 5. 625. Q. 2(a)Translate the following expressions using the goto-avoiding translation scheme. i)if (a==b kk c==d |I e==f) x == 1; ii)if (a==b II c==d || e==f) x == 1; iii)if (a==b && c==d kk e==f) x == 1; (b)Construct the DAG and identify the value numbers for the sub expressions of the following expressions, assuming + associates from the left. ) a + b+ (a + b). ii) a + b + a + b. iii) a + a + ((fl + a + a + (a + a + a + a )). Q. 3(a)Explain the following i)Back Patching ii)Procedure Calls (b)Generate code for the following three-address statements, assuming all variables are stored in memory locations. i) x = 1 ii) x = a iii) x = a + 1 iv) x = a + b v) The two statements x = b * c y = a + x Q. 4(a)The programming language C does not have a Boolean type. Show how a C compiler might translate if-statement into three-address code. (b)Construct the DAG for the basic block d = b * c e = a + b b = b * c a = e – d Q. (a)Generate code for the following three-address statements assuming a and b are arrays whose elements are 4-byte values. i)The four-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b [ j] a [ i ] = y b [ j ] = x ii) The three-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b [ i] z = x * y iii) The three-statement sequence x = a [ i] y = b[x] a [ i ] = y (b)Suppose a basic block is formed from the C assignment statements x = a + b + c + d + e + f; y = a + c + e; i) Give the three-address statements (only one addition per statement) for this block. ii) Use the associative and commutative laws to modify the block to use the fewest possible number of 468 Compiler ConstructionCredit Hours: 3(3, 0) Recommended Book: Compliers; Principles, Techniques, and Tools by Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi, Jerrey D. Ullman Course Outlines: Unit No. 1 Introduction to Compiling Compliers, analysis of the source program, the phases of a complier, cousins of the compiler, the grouping of phases, complier-construction tools Unit No. 2 A Simple One-pass Compiler Overview, syntax definition, syntax-directed translation, parsing, a translator for simple expressions, lexical analysis, incorporating a symbol table, abstract stack machines, putting the techniques together Unit No. Lexical and Syntax Analysis Lexical analysis (the role of the lexical analyzer, input buffering, specification of tokens, recognition of tokens, a language for specifying lexical analyzers, finite automata, from a regular expression to an NFA, design of a lexical analyzer generator, optimization of DFA-based pattern matchers), syntax analysis (the role of the parser, context-free grammars, writing a grammar, top-down parsing, bottom-up parsing, operator-precedence parsing, LR parsers, using ambiguous grammars, parser generators) Unit No. 4 Syntax-Directed TranslationSyntax-direc ted definitions, construction of syntax trees, bottom-up evaluation of s-attributed definitions, l-attributed definitions, top-down translation, bottom-up evaluation of inherited attributes, recursive evaluators, space for attribute values at compile time, assigning space at complier-construction time, analysis of syntax-directed definitions Unit No. 5 Type Checking Type systems, Specification of a simple type checker, Equivalence of type expressions, Type conversions, Overloading of functions and operators, Polymorphic functions, an algorithm for unification Unit No. Intermediate Code Generation Intermediate Languages, Declarations, Assignment statements, Boolean expressions, Case statements, Back Patching, Procedure calls Unit No. 7 Code Generations Issues in the design of a code generator, The target machine, Run-time storage management, Basic blocks and flow graphs, Next-use information, A simple code generator, Register allocation and assignment, The dag representation of basic blocks, Peephole optimization, Generating code from dags, Dynamic programming code-generation algorithm, Code-generator generators Unit No. Code Optimization Introduction, The principal sources of optimization, Optimization of basic blocks, Loops in flow graphs, Introduction to global data-flow analysis, Iterative solution of data-flow equations, Code-improving transformations, Dealing with aliases, Data-flow analysis of structured flow graphs, Efficient data-flow algorithms, A tool for data-flow analysis, Estimation of types, Symbolic debugging of optimized code Unit No. Writing a Complier Planning a compiler, Approaches to compiler development, The compiler-development environment, Testing and maintenance, A Look at Some Compilers, EQN, a preprocessor for typesetting mathematics, Compilers for Pascal, The C compilers, The Fortran H compilers, The Bliss/11 compiler, Modula-2 optimizing compiler

Action Plan and Annotated Bibliography on Maintaining...

Action plan: maintaining academic honesty Academic dishonesty is a serious issue for anyone regardless of the discipline they are pursuing or the contextual factors. It undermines the quality of the end product such as the services that the person engaging in academic dishonesty will provide in the future. It also beats the purpose of going through academic institutions that provide facilities and facilitators in the education process. Academic dishonesty is, therefore, wrong in all forms and is not justifiable. There are several things that constitute academic dishonesty. These include cheating in exams by using illegal materials, accessing undue assistance, and impersonation. Another form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism and presentation of falsified information. These examples are not exhaustive but present main issues that I need to tackle (C; Triggle D; Triggle, 2007). However, the academic institutions have systems and programs in place to deal with academic dishonesty and any individual effort will only fit within this wider context. The first step is to familiarize myself with the topic of academic dishonesty and plagiarism, of which writing this essay is an essential step. The definition and forms of plagiarism are necessary to identify and prevent plagiarism since unintentional perpetuation of the vice is inexcusable (Rennie, 2010). The whole issue is ethical in nature and is heavily dependent on individual philosophy and morals. Aspiring to higher valuesShow MoreRelatedFotopoulos BA200 F14 Syllabus 22897 Words   |  12 Pagesrequires your submitting papers you have written (hard-copies of assignments, reports, PowerPoint slides) and copies of research you have done for each presentation (e.g., copies of pages from reference materials such as journals, books or magazines). Plan appropriately for this: not having sufficient funding in your student account for copying purposes is not an acceptable excuse for not submitting required assignments. III. Grading Remember, your instructor does not give you a grade – you earnRead MoreMastering Graduate Studies 1e32499 Words   |  130 PagesACADEMIC INTEGRITY RESEARCH LIBRARY KNOWLEDGE SKILLS COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS CAREER PATH  IMPRINT Title Mastering Graduate Studies EDITION 1 CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Alexis DiVincenzo Consulting Editors: Mark Alexander, Nicole Quow-Thomason Art Direction Senior Art Director: Miranda Hildebrand Art Development and Design: Jo DeSnyder-Rolfe Permissions contact Grand Canyon University 3300 W Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85017 602.639.7500 Copyright Information Grand Canyon University. AllRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages . . . . 109 Goals, Themes, and Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Objectives, Initiatives, Pathways, and Strategies . . . . 111 Activities, Tasks, and Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Evaluation—Accountability in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Planning Hierarchy—An Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 6—Marketing Information Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Read MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pages but the effort is notoriously difï ¬ cult. Many executives have ï ¬â€šoundered, uncertain about what exactly needs to be changed, by how much, and when. A new framework can take the mystery out of reengineering business processes and help you comprehend, plan, and assess your company’s process-based t ransformations. 20 FORETHOUGHT Firms from developing countries are making a global mark†¦McDonald’s isn’t afraid to bite off more than it can chew†¦Women at Fortune 1,000 companies are securing top jobs faster