Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
about your topic and feel invested in it, not only will the process be agonizing for you, but it
will be less likely that you will see it through to completion.
Let's say you have decided that you want to focus on interpersonal violence in prehis-
tory, and you are most interested in specifically exploring this topic for a Latin American
population. You will need to ensure that (1) there are skeletal collections that will be acces-
sible (with a sufficient number of individuals exhibiting trauma); (2) local authorities (i.e.,
at the museum) would be interested in your research topic for their collection; (3) you can
obtain an invitation/permission to do research; and (4) you can obtain the resources
needed for travel (if applicable). Speak to your advisor at this point
d
they will be able
to help guide you in terms of key references you should read and perhaps with a certain
direction you should explore or with setting up contacts in the country, museum, and/or
university where you wish to work. Make sure you stay in touch with your advisor
through the different steps of the process. Not only will you need their support while
you are working on your project, but they will be one of the people who signs your
completed thesis or dissertation and therefore you have to make sure they approve of
what you decide to work on.
Travel Possibilities
As a side note, we strongly recommend that you seriously consider traveling to do your
research. You became (or are considering becoming) an anthropologist for a reason, part of
which probably involved reading about anthropologists who travel to all corners of the
world and the adventures that ensue. Even if you are fortunate enough to be at a university
with a skeletal collection, do not disregard the fact that there are other skeletal collections, of
prehistoric, historic, and modern individuals, available for research literally all over the
world.
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Your research project should be about more than your education
d
it should be about
your own personal development as well. Travel contributes to personal development almost
like nothing else. If you travel to do your data collection, not only will you develop a passion
for the area of the world to which you travel and the collection you are studying, but you will
create contacts in that country for your future career. Further, part of the nature of anthro-
pology is its cross-cultural perspective. Take advantage of travel to foster this in your own
work if possible.
Full Literature Review
You will need to do a full literature review on whichever area you have decided to direct
your focus. This sounds like a lot of work
d
and it is
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but being prepared will pay off later.
First, you will have to do an exhaustive literature review for your thesis or dissertation
anyway, so you might as well get started reading the literature now. Second, reading the liter-
ature will spark a lot of specific ideas. Many studies will state in the conclusion something
similar to, “we recommend that future studies examine
” or “further work is needed
.
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Refer to the online Skeletal Collections Database:
http://skeletal.highfantastical.com/
. This lists several,
but not all, skeletal collections available (link current as of publication). In addition, see
Usher (2002)
; White
et al. (2012:382
e
383); and
Ubelaker (in press)
for listings of skeletal collections.
