For this assignment, you will need to research an activist and explain their journey in overcoming a particular social challenge (see the course assignment page for more information). This guide will help you use both Google and the Excelsior Library to complete two major components of the assignment:

• Choosing an activist
• Researching your selected activist and their goals for social justice

Choosing an activist

If you aren't sure which activist you want to focus on, try doing a simple Google search to get some ideas.

For example, try searching for current social justice activists. Or, if you're interested in individuals from a particular culture, you could search for LGBT activists or Muslim social justice activists. You can also try searching by specific issues such as disability rights activists or climate change activists. Once you've done a search, browse the list of results for any articles that might be useful.

For example, let’s say we did a search for Muslim social justice activists and found the article below:

After reading the article, we decided we want to focus on women's rights activist, Tawakkol Karman.

Researching an activist

Once you’ve chosen an activist, the next step is to find out more about them. To do this, you can use both Google and the Library databases.

Using Google

Simply Google your activist’s name to see if you can find out more about them. For example, a Google search for Tawakkol Karman brought back articles from Time magazine, nobelprize.org, and her own website (www.tawakkolkarman.net).

Using the Library

Use the Excelsior Library to research your activist. The benefit of using the library is that the resources have already been chosen and vetted by librarians for credibility, so part of the evaluation work has been done for you! However, you may need to use a different search strategy than you did in Google. Here’s an example of a search you can try in OneSearch (which searches most of the library’s databases at the same time):

1st search box: “Tawakkol Karman”
2nd search box: social justice

[Search tip: Use quotation marks to search for exact phrases of 2 or more words. This way, we are searching for the full name “Tawakkol Karman” instead of the names Tawakkol and Karman separately, which could potentially bring back irrelevant results. This trick works in Google, too!]

Browse the list for articles that might be useful. You will need to skim a few to learn about the specific challenges, issues, etc. that your activist overcame throughout their journey. For examples, here’s one we might use from the search above:

Need more help? Please don't hesitate to contact us for one-on-one assistance!

Don't forget!

When using Google, you should always evaluate your sources for credibility. Use a strategy such as the TRAAP method to help you know what to look for.