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Zari Basden
ERWC
Mrs. Porraz
21 September 2014

Analysis Paper- 1984 Historical Research Presentation

I chose to do my research presentation on Joseph Stalin. I already had an interest in the
Soviet Union and Stalin himself, so the actual research of him was entertaining. Therefore, one
of my accomplishments was learning more about Stalin, as well as getting my project done in a
timely manner, learn my information, and have time for editing. I properly outlined a schedule
for myself to follow to ensure I did what I set out to do. This included setting time aside
specifically for the project and writing down notes.
I did a majority of my research on the internet and examined multiple websites. I
attempted to ensure that all the websites I looked at and gathered information from were reliable
sources. Also, I compared the information from various websites to make sure that the data given
was very similar as to not include any historical "outliers." I can't say it was difficult to find
credible sources, but mainly time consuming. I had to consistently inspect websites for any
inaccurate information and assure that the website couldn't be edited by the public domain. Also,
I specifically looked for any website that contained .edu or .gov; however, I came to the
conclusion that there wasn't many website addresses including those. So, in a way, I almost
settled for using other website addresses for my research. While I conducted my analysis, I
verified I had at least five websites to account for. I wanted to have numerous sources I could fall
back on if I one of them was invalid.

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For the duration of my research, I came to the realization how much easier it was to do it
myself. Nonetheless, I can't say I just realized that since I was aware of my preferences for work
before. I have worked with partners in the past, and can honestly confess that I don't like it;
however, I forgot how much I disliked until this presentation. I like the fact that I can work on
my own time and don't have to depend upon someone else. I like that I don't have to include
someone else's data or preferences for the assignment. I'm very specific in the way I like to do
things and feel I have to control every aspect of the assignment to ensure I get all the necessary
points for an A. Therefore, when it came to this presentation, the work was relatively easy. I
enjoyed working alone and relying solely on myself to get it done in an above perfect manner.
While I was analyzing the websites I picked out, I came across some that provided much
better information. Websites that had a ".gov" or ".edu" address tended to contain more in depth
information that consisted of elevated vocabulary and structure. Also, websites that emphasized a
certain subject within my topic contained better analysis and depth. I didn't really rely on one
certain website or detail for my presentation, but tried to include all of them one way or another.
Whether this meant looking at a biography, essay, article, or a simple website that had the
information I desired, I attempted to employ them all. I didn't want to exclude any information
that may have been important or significant to my presentation so. Since I did do this, I did
accomplish the first goal of mine - to learn more about Stalin. I already had information on him
because I do enjoy reading about him. Thus, I did not necessarily learn more, but it did reinforce
what I already knew. I found information that I forgot and had to remember again or data that
supported information I already knew, but wasn't one-hundred percent sure. Moreover, I do think
I also accomplished my other goals well. I finished early which allowed me to edit it like I
wished and had no stress worrying about it. There was no reason for me to rush or quickly put

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something together, hence, I gave myself time to scrutinize my work and fix any mistakes I came
across.
Nonetheless, while piling together my information, I found various facts that closely
resembled the 1984 novel. The details of the NKVD and Great Purge seemed like Orwell written
it himself. Both Big Brother and Stalin conducted various executions of suspected "enemies of
the people" and incorporated the same economy. The government simply controlled every aspect
of the economy including supplying, distributing, and the producing of goods. It was the
government obligation to ensure industry supplied what was ordered and distributes in the
manner the government desired. Also, the use of rewriting history was included in both. In 1984,
the Ministry of Truth rewrote history to provide evidence of the greatness of Big Brother, Stalin
did the exact same. Stalin actually had press rewrite history texts to ensure he was portrayed as a
committed, intelligent, and real leader of the Soviet Union.