This post like the Seventh Harry Potter movie, comes to two you in parts.

Part 1: What else do you do for digital humanities?

To study how we communicate then we have to analyze written work. Every research article has a specific topic, question, significance, and sometimes an application. Our definition of research article being a broad term used to describe any text published with the intention to intelligently answer a specific research question. So every article’s argument can be condensed to one sentence. I, the author, am studying (specific topic) in order to understand (specific question) so that (significance) and also (application).

Part 2: Time to practice sorcery I mean practice breaking down research paper arguments… Obviously.

Let’s take a pop culture favorite Harry Potter. An author by the name of Elizabeth E. Heilman analyzed the series focusing on the role of gender and sex for the Harry Potter characters. If you take the time to read the article, or do an educated skimming of the article, you will find that Heilman’s specific topic is gender representation in the Harry Potter series and examining specific books and characters. Her research question stems from her specific topic, as it should. Are the Harry Potter novels sexist or feminist? Heilman argues that gender critique is important because gender representation can both obscure and justify oppressive practices. Heilman argues that by seeing marginalized characters that play on sexist stereotypes that young readers will get the impression that those behaviors are normal, may legitimize inequality. This would be Heilman’s significance. Though not all articles have an application, Heilman gives the reader a call to action. We, as readers, should read children’s’ books with a critical lens. Just because a novel or series is popular does not mean that it necessarily is teaching children positive ideas, especially when referring to gender. We should also be having open conversations with younger readers about gender and gender stereotypes.

And thus concludes our first break down of a research article.

Sources

Heilman, Elizabeth E., and Trevor Donaldson. n.d. “From Sexist to (sort-Of) Feminist: Representations of Gender in the Harry Potter Series.” In Critical Perspectives on Harry Potter, 2nd ed., 139–61. New York, USA: Routledge. https://harrypottersummer2011.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/from-sexist-to-sort-of-feminist-representations-of-gender-in-harry-potter.pdf