Wikileaks and Writing Sample

[lelick1234]

I know that some political science, government-track academics have shunned using wikileaks for fear of losing future security clearances for government jobs.  What about academics that have no interest in government service?  Has anyone heard of an academic article been shunned for using Wikileaks documents?  I am just asking because I have found many leaked documents that modify my view of an undergraduate thesis that I wrote and want to turn into a writing sample for graduate applications.  Should I be safe and not include them even if I feel that the original argument is now slightly flawed in light of these new sources?  According to Wikileaks, the documents have been declassified in 2014, but I do not have access to the National Security Archives since I am not affiliated with a university library that has access to the sources.  The paper contains extensive primary sources obtained through the National Security Archives also, and is not completely wikileaks reliant.  

Edited April 8, 2016 by lelick1234

[rising_star]

I actually taught an article last semester that took a multi-methods approach and used Wikileaks stuff for the document analysis portion.

[Sigaba]

22 hours ago, lelick1234 said:

I know that some political science, government-track academics have shunned using wikileaks for fear of losing future security clearances for government jobs.  What about academics that have no interest in government service?  Has anyone heard of an academic article been shunned for using Wikileaks documents?  I am just asking because I have found many leaked documents that modify my view of an undergraduate thesis that I wrote and want to turn into a writing sample for graduate applications.  Should I be safe and not include them even if I feel that the original argument is now slightly flawed in light of these new sources?  According to Wikileaks, the documents have been declassified in 2014, but I do not have access to the National Security Archives since I am not affiliated with a university library that has access to the sources.  The paper contains extensive primary sources obtained through the National Security Archives also, and is not completely wikileaks reliant.  

In earlier posts, you expressed an interest in .GOV jobs and potentially joining the ARNG. If those objectives are still of interest to you, I would strongly recommend against using wikileaks.

Also, given that contemporary history remains a controversial field in some circles, is submitting a writing sample on such a topic the best way to get into a graduate program? (One could do it, but one would, IMO, need to nail the historiographical elements.)

Finally, one can find archival documents related to American national security without university affiliation Examples follow.

http://www.foia.cia.gov/

https://foia.state.gov/search/search.aspx

http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/readingRoom.html

http://fas.org/irp/offdocs/index.html

Edited April 9, 2016 by Sigaba

[lelick1234]

Sigba, 

You are totally right.  I am having an identity crisis.  My essay  is about Carter's human rights policy towards Iran. I am hoping to specialize in US foreign policy towards the Middle East.  I do not think I will be able to avoid controversy.  There is a general historiography towards that period that I think I can illuminate and balance with the Wikileaks sources.  

--Leo