In the efforts of the academic, I find that the purpose of citation is central to what our work should reflect: the ease in introducing research to the reader. This means allotting room for the reader to refer, further investigate and seek knowledge based on their interests (think Kathleen Fitzpatrick’s filtering process for reward). For the 2017 thesis, “The Column of Constantine at Constantinople: A Cultural History (330-1453 C.E.)” by Carey Thompson Wells, it consolidates and compartmentalizes information chronologically while retaining its modern argument and introspection throughout.
The project’s form is streamlined in conveying a progression of the Column of Constantine’s symbolism as a product of political agendas and visions of power. The audience can then clearly correlate and find commonality among the many historical successors of the column, its surrounding land and their tactics in regards to assimilation. Concepts like reified meaning based on Hegel’s theory of sublation (Jay David Bolter and Richard Grusin’s “Remediations”) are reinforced constantly. The overarching historical and cultural points made also had relevance in the ways we conduct and approach research, hitting on how the source can be directly affected by what it derives from (attitudes and intentions bleeding into the author’s). Overall, these strengthened the reliability of the project and positively influenced its presentation and reception.
The footnotes and excerpts also were seamlessly integrated to maximize the fluidity of the text, keeping the reader’s engagement. Consistency in the citation made it easy for me to trace and overview patterns throughout the thesis as well as manage to think tangentially about other points of research one could take. To note too was the unique division of primary and secondary sources as well as website articles and images in the bibliography. The references never detracted from the argument, rather the author questioned and added possible counter-arguments. This multiplicity of truth served again to give the reading more impact. This also has made room for conversation, leaving this discussion (and the many others it introduces) open-ended.
Wells most masterful inclusion was highlighting the modern relevance, bringing up the idea of predominant Western culture and how erasure occurs in this context. The creation of myths and how political agendas revitalize certain ideas as well made this project all the more pertinent to avenues or art historical, archaeological, anthropological and purely historical research methods. This then interdisciplinary inclusiveness, through terminology and approach, manifests this thesis’ application to any and all manners of discourse.
