Japanese/Chinese History(Nanking)

[Tease]

Hi JF,
I'm doing my graduation report on the Massacre(rape) of Nanking
So I was wondering if someone had a story/information that is not available on sites like Wikipedia and other history websites.
I'm hoping to get some grandpa told stories of the war and that specific time and place.

I know this still is a difficult subject in Japan but I'm looking forward to some helpful replies

Tease,

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Tease

Hi JF,
I'm doing my graduation report on the Massacre(rape) of Nanking
So I was wondering if someone had a story/information that is not available on sites like Wikipedia and other history websites.
I'm hoping to get some grandpa told stories of the war and that specific time and place.

I know this still is a difficult subject in Japan but I'm looking forward to some helpful replies

Tease,

If you're using Wikipedia for a graduation report (a/k/a "thesis," no?), then give up and accept your double F minus.

I would suggest you go to a library. My local university has 117 books on Nanking, and they're likely all a lot more trustworthy than Wikipedia: University of Texas Libraries /All Locations

PS the Wikipedia article on the Rape of Nanking has a "further reading" section that even links to some online PDF files of good stuff: Nanking Massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Out of curiosity, what grade are you doing this for?

And I'm pretty sure there are books of nothing but compilations of Nanking stories told by eyewitnesses. But I'd be willing to bet there are a ton more in Japanese and a superton more in Chinese.

[Tease]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

If you're using Wikipedia for a graduation report (a/k/a "thesis," no?), then give up and accept your double F minus.

I would suggest you go to a library. My local university has 117 books on Nanking, and they're likely all a lot more trustworthy than Wikipedia: University of Texas Libraries /All Locations

PS the Wikipedia article on the Rape of Nanking has a "further reading" section that even links to some online PDF files of good stuff: Nanking Massacre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Out of curiosity, what grade are you doing this for?

And I'm pretty sure there are books of nothing but compilations of Nanking stories told by eyewitnesses. But I'd be willing to bet there are a ton more in Japanese and a superton more in Chinese.

I've bought "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II"
and read every article I could find in the library
Grades work different in the Netherlands so I really don't know...
Wikipedia is allowed and I'm translating what I find on there...

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by Tease

I've bought "The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II"
and read every article I could find in the library
Grades work different in the Netherlands so I really don't know...
Wikipedia is allowed and I'm translating what I find on there...

That's cool; sounds like you've actually worked hard. If I hear one more lazy American high schooler talk about how Wikipedia doesn't give them enough useful information to do a research project, I'm going to scream.

And if I came off as rude, I apologize. You are a good person, I can tell.

[ColinHowell]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

If you're using Wikipedia for a graduation report (a/k/a "thesis," no?), then give up and accept your double F minus.

Hey! Actually, I've done some Wikipedia work myself in a few out-of-the-way places, but I know where you're coming from.

Originally Posted by Tease

Wikipedia is allowed and I'm translating what I find on there...

OK, since it seems you've already taken that step, some advice:

First of all, there's also a corresponding article on the Dutch Wikipedia, so you might find that useful for translating or finding further material.

Second, remember that this kind of high-profile contentious political topic is exactly the place where some of Wikipedia's worst problems can rise to the surface. You're on a battlefield now. To get a sense of the sort of vicious infighting which can go on in a place like this, I'd recommend reading through the article's Discussion page, and also the archives for that page, which are listed near the top. Also take a look at the article's History page; it will give you a sense of how much activity goes on in an article like this, and it will also let you look at older versions of the article and the changes made in the various edits.

KyleGoetz already mentioned looking through the Further Reading section. I would also recommend looking through the References section; although it isn't as nicely organized as Further Reading, it may contain sources not listed in the other section, as well as providing specific sources for claims made in the main article. The External Links section may also be helpful.

Always remember that someone with a biased point of view (a "POV-pusher", in Wikipedia jargon) can edit these sections just as easily as any other section, in order to bias the sources toward their viewpoint.

I don't think it's wise to cite the Wikipedia article itself, but if for some reason you feel compelled to do so, cite a specific version. That's the only way another reader can know what was in the version of the article you used. There is a "Cite this page" link, located among the links in small type on the left hand margin, under the "Tools" section, which will construct a citation for you in various standard academic formats. You can use this link while looking at any version of the article to cite that version.

All of this applies to the Dutch Wikipedia just as much as to the English Wikipedia.

One more thing; your initial query asked for stories about the massacre from posters here. But unless a poster could back up his story with a published source, or you could interview the person directly, I don't think such a story would be very useful in an academic paper, since you wouldn't be able to verify it or even the identity of who told it.

[ColinHowell]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

If I hear one more lazy American high schooler talk about how Wikipedia doesn't give them enough useful information to do a research project, I'm going to scream.

Heh, you could tell them, "Well, you're doing a research project, right? You can always add your results to the article. Oh, be sure to cite your sources thoroughly."

(I'm only half kidding; I've found that writing a good Wikipedia article to high standards is a lot like writing a research paper, complete with meeting the demands of hostile reviewers. Except that you may have to defend the results from some single-minded crank who insists on adding his own personal obsession to this article, like he's done to a hundred others.)