Research Paper powerpoint - SchoolWorld an Edline Solution

Research
Paper

Introductory stuff

Research requires:


Asking good, then better, then best
questions


Searching for answers/resources


Evaluating sources of info/ideas


Reading


Evaluating info/ideas


Collecting/organizing resources/info


Process at a glance:


Question


Search


Read


Organize


Write

Definitions

Subject
:
a BROAD
category or area of
study



(NOT the topic of your paper)

Subject examples:


Russia’s economic
troubles


Rain forests


Illegal immigration

Definitions

Topic
:
a NARROW,
CLEARLY
-
DEFINED area
of interest.



(NOT the topic of your paper)

Topic examples:


The role of U.S. policies in the
collapse of the Russian economy


The effect of U.S. policies on the
depletion of rain forests in South
America


The effect of illegal immigration
on unemployment in the
Southwest

Definitions


Thesis:

a general statement
that announces the major
conclusions you reached through
thoughtful analysis of all your sources.


(THIS is the focus of your paper and what it will spend
the rest of its pages proving)

Thesis examples:

In the 80s and 90s, former Russian president
Mikhail Gorbachev implemented a
decentralized and market
-
neutral economic
reform model that not only undermined
Russia’s short
-
term chances for economic
growth but also compromised the country’s
ability to sustain and grow its own industrial
base resulting
in a collapsed Russian
infrastructure and a severe encumbrance
on the world’s trade economy.

Definitions

Hypo
thesis
:
a prediction,
made before you begin reading
sources (and one that may shift as you
read) regarding what you believe you
will discover through your research



Opinions change. It’s okay.

Topic selection


Start with a question
—
it
will guide your research


Ask more specific,
compelling questions as
you proceed

Topic selection


The best topics have no
simple solutions


http://teachersites.scho
olworld.com/webpages
/JWhite11/class_info.cfm


READ

and
take notes


Keep

your
hypothesis in mind
, but
look for
sources that disagree


READ

and
take notes


Wikis are only good for general info and
locating BETTER resources


READ

and
take notes


Capture bibliographic
info RIGHT THEN!!


READ

and
take notes


The
more and more varied
your
sources

are,
the
better
.


Books


Periodicals


Internet


Online periodical index


Audiovisual


Field research


Self
(see Mrs. White first)

Digital search strategies:


.
com


.org


.net


.
gov


.
uk


.
edu


.mil

Suspicious sources:


No author


No title


No copyright


No bibliography


No independent source
backers


Unprofessional language

Digital search strategies:


Type your hypothesis


Type key words only


Boolean search: AND, NOT,
OR



Genetic engineering AND corn


Genetic engineering NOT agriculture


Genetic engineering OR corn


Genetics AND corn NOT livestock

Capturing bibliographic data


Do it.


Be thorough.


Be consistent.


Don’t lose it.

Capturing bibliographic data


Author (all of them, editors, too


Title of article (in “ “)


Title of source (book, mag, newspaper,
website, webpage)


Website/page sponsor


Copyright (correct one)name and
date



Print sources: page numbers and publication data


Digital sources: date of access, PDF or webpage



Got sources? Got info?


READ

What to notice while reading:


Relevance of content


Currency of content


Depth of content


Bias of content


Reliability of content


Coverage of content


Primary v. secondary v. tertiary

Tomorrow:


MEET in library
(better have your login up
-
to
-
date or
you’ll lose an automatic 10 points)


EBSCO lesson and
data/bib collection

Thursday:


MEET in Writing
Lab
(better have your login up
-
to
-
date or you’ll lose another automatic 10
points)


Research all hour

Friday


Meet in CLASSROOM


Note taking tools
(15
pts
)


Summary, paraphrase,
direct quote lesson and
practice


Bring your raw source
material

Friday


First 15 “note
cards” due
before you leave
class
(30 points)

Monday

1.
4
5
GOOD

note
“cards” due
(
9
0 points)

2.
5
GOOD

source
“cards” due
(15
pts
)

Let’s work on
good
research
questions…

Good question:


Fresh and interesting


Complex solutions/answers


Multiple, credible viewpoints held by
experts


Holds significance beyond your
bubble


Good amount of independent
research to support claims


How to question:


How does it fit into larger system?


How does it affect other entities?


What has been done already?


Short
-

and Long
-
term benefits/issues


Historical context?


Precedent?


Ask “what if?”


Take the opposite stance and argue


Who cares?

How to question:


What do
you

want to know?


How? Why? What if? To what degree?
In the future? In a different location?
In a different culture? In a different
era?

Question template:

I am studying
_________________________


because I want to find out


(how/who/what/when/where/whether/why)



___________________________________ .

Question template:

I am studying
Russian economy
over last 40 years

because I want to find out

(
how
/who/
what
/when/where/
whether
/
why
)


Why

it hurt the
Global

Economy,
whether

or not its new direction will
help to
resolve

the
g
lobal
e
conomic
crisis, and if so,
how
this will happen
.

Your turn…