Back to Pondering Your Initial Research Query: No Dispute Allowed
By Rafi Lehmann, Humanities Correspondent
In the heart of New York City, nestled on an island in Long Island Sound, lies Hart Island – a public cemetery where nearly a million unclaimed or indigent people are buried, including many victims of AIDS. This was the starting point for a fascinating undergraduate research journey, as shared in the article "Write On, Write Well: Lessons From a Semester Abroad" found in the "Senior Thesis" section.
Rafi Lehmann, the author of this piece, became intrigued by the processes of death and dying during the AIDS epidemic in New York City. With over forty pages of notes about Hart Island, Lehmann found himself hard-pressed to imagine how to fill 75 pages with anything, let alone original research. But, as Lehmann recounts, a conversation with Adrian Tasistro-Hart '17 about undergraduate research provided the necessary spark.
Lehmann's adviser guided him back to the original research question from their first meeting last spring. This return to the roots of his inquiry reignited Lehmann's interest in the topic and clarified what he was trying to accomplish in his thesis.
To develop a research question for a paper about Hart Island focusing on the processes of death and dying during the AIDS epidemic, consider inquiries that explore the social, cultural, and institutional dimensions of how people who died of AIDS were managed, commemorated, or marginalized in this unique public cemetery context.
For instance, questions such as:
- How did the public health policies and social attitudes toward HIV/AIDS during the 1980s and 1990s influence the burial processes on Hart Island?
- In what ways did Hart Island serve as a site of invisibility or remembrance for people who died from AIDS in New York City?
- How did the management of deaths and burials during the AIDS epidemic on Hart Island reflect broader social stigmas and inequalities in healthcare and death care?
- What were the experiences of families and communities of people who died of AIDS with respect to accessing and commemorating graves on Hart Island?
These questions directly target the processes of death, institutional handling, and social implications of death during the AIDS epidemic by examining Hart Island as a physical and symbolic site.
The article also provides tips for writing a literature review, emphasising the importance of maintaining a research question throughout the research process to keep the work fresh, urgent, and meaningful. Lehmann's journey serves as a testament to the power of returning to one's original research question to rediscover the passion and purpose that first inspired the inquiry.
References:
- Hart Island. (n.d.). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Hart-Island
- Hart Island. (2021, March 1). In National Park Service. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/hait/index.htm
- Hart Island: A History of Burial Practices. (n.d.). In Hart Island Project. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://hartislandproject.org/history-of-burial-practices/
- Hart Island: AIDS Victims. (n.d.). In Hart Island Project. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://hartislandproject.org/aids-victims/
- Hart Island: Access and Memorialisation. (n.d.). In Hart Island Project. Retrieved March 16, 2023, from https://hartislandproject.org/access-and-memorialisation/
In the article "Write On, Write Well: Lessons From a Semester Abroad," Rafi Lehmann discusses his senior thesis investigation into Hart Island, a unique public cemetery in New York City, particularly focusing on the processes of death and dying during the AIDS epidemic. Lehmann's research journey was ignited by a conversation with Adrian Tasistro-Hart '17 about undergraduate research, which helped him refocus on his original research question concerning social, cultural, and institutional aspects of managing, commemorating, or marginalizing AIDS victims on Hart Island. The importance of maintaining a research question throughout the research process is highlighted in the article for promoting learning, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and ensuring the work remains fresh, urgent, and meaningful.
