It is important for undergraduate students to have opportunities to conduct research. For students like Hal Danesh, research experience provides skills and development that would otherwise be missed out on.
“Hal Danesh assisted me in developing an interactive, digital map of ethnic and religious communities in the Russian Federation,” said Eugene Clay, associate professor of religious studies in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. “This semester, we concentrated on contemporary information available about registered religious congregations on the Russian Ministry of Justice website.”
Danesh is an undergraduate in SHPRS studying history and Jewish studies. He worked with Clay during the fall 2017 semester on the research project, “Mapping Religious Conflict in Eurasia.” The project uses innovative methods to map religious communities and their conflicts on the territory of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics since 1991, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
“To enjoy the privileges of juridical personhood—for example, the right to print and publish books and pamphlets, rent buildings, produce and broadcast radio and television programs—religious organizations must be registered with the Ministry and must submit an annual report on their activities,” said Clay. “This data provides important clues about the dynamics of religious growth and decline.”
During the semester, Danesh went to the Russian Ministry of Justice’s website to download expenditure reports for religious institutions all over the Russian Federation. He then entered each of their addresses and annual expenses into a database.
“Using this information, we can see geographically where practicers of the religions are spread out and the size and strength of their operations based on the amount each institution spends,” said Danesh. “The goal is to create an interactive map to use as a research tool that shows where different religions and denominations are practiced throughout the Russian Federation and the growth or decline of their religious institutions since the collapse of the Soviet Union.”
The Undergraduate Research Experience allows Danesh to develop professional research skills, create lasting relationships with faculty and receive hands-on practice in their field of study, all with the help of a professional scholar.
“By participating in research projects, undergraduates can widen their horizons and learn about the many wonderful databases and tools that ASU provides,” said Clay. “The library website is a portal to over 600 databases, many of which are not included in OneSearch. For example, we have access to a digitized portion of Joseph Stalin’s archive, as well as electronic access to several key Russian scholarly journals.”
For many other undergraduates, like Danesh, it is the first time he is able to contribute to his field outside of a classroom. It is through these research opportunities that students are able to set themselves apart and gain a larger understanding of their field earlier on in their career.
“Thanks to the guidance of Dr. Clay, I have learned a lot more about the research process, and I have already begun to apply the lessons I have learned to my classes,” said Danesh. “ I have learned a lot more about history as a profession and what I need to be doing to achieve my career goals. As a result, I have become a much better student of history.”
The project will continue into the spring 2018 semester with another undergraduate student.