Freewriting Activity• Have you done research for a paper or project?

Tell me a research experience you have had. Was it boring? Exciting? Difficult? Do you go to a library? Do an internet search? Interview someone? What was the hardest part about doing research? The easiest? The most fun?

• If you could work anywhere in Windsor, where would it be and why would you work there?

• Topic of your choice.

Writing in the WorksChapter 15Research

What is research?

Why do we need to do research?

Research There are a number of different types of

research we are already familiar with. Get in groups of two and choose one topic from the list below. What kind of research would you do before:

Buying a car Renting an apartment Taking a vacation Going to a movie Buying sports equipment

What are primary sources?

What are secondary sources?

Primary and Secondary SourcesPrimary sources: “Original or firsthand documents” (566). Examples include interviews, public documents (tax records, police reports, etc.), e-mail, diaries, letters, journals, polls, and autobiographies, among others (full list on pages 566-567).

Secondary sources: “What other people have thought or figured about a topic” (567). Examples include analytical books, scholarly journals, reviews, biographies, and newspaper articles, among others (full list on page 567).

What is a research question?

What is a Research Question?

“Having a specific research question helps make your research efficient. It allows you to enter into research with an open mind, genuinely seeking answers to a question you find interesting” (568).

“A good research question is in-depth enough to help you formulate a thesis – the main argument or point of your paper – and narrow enough to fit the parameters of your assignment” (569).

Formulating a Research QuestionIn your groups, formulate a research question for

one of the topics listed below. I've given you an example to help get you started.

Ex: Fraternities and Alcohol: “'What has led fraternities to go dry and ban alcohol?'” “'Can fraternities survive if they go dry?'” (568)

- Tattoos

- Music

- Environmentalism

- Clothing

- Computers

Narrowing your Topic Last class we discussed trends. In your groups, chose

one of the topics from the last activity, which are too broad for a research paper, and narrow it down into a researchable trend.

Ex: Sports – Concussions in hockey have increased due to equipment that is bulkier than in the past and players that are in better physical shape.

The topics are...

- Tattoos

- Music

- Environmentalism

- Clothing

- Computers

Evaluating Sources• “Knowing how to evaluate your sources will

save you time and will help you eliminate irrelevant information and focus on the information most useful to your research project. Evaluating sources involves critical thinking and a system or set of criteria for judging their usefulness. Evaluate a source by answering questions based on authorship, scholarship, bias and currency” (573-574).

Evaluating Sources

• Authorship: “Finding out about the person who researched and wrote the information is key in evaluating books, article and web material. What are the author's credentials?” (574)

• Scholarship: “Quoting from works with good research makes your writing credible. Does the writing cite other sources? Does it offer depth, or is it an overview? Are claims explained and documented?” (574)

Evaluating Sources

• Bias: “What is the purpose of the work: to argue, to report, to sell, to entertain? Who is the audience? Is the audience a specialized group with shared values? Is the audience general? How do the author's credentials imply a possible point of view in the writing?” (574)

• Currency: “When was the book published, and by whom? Has the material been updated?” (574).

Evaluating Sources

• In your groups, evaluate the source I have given you. First, decided whether it is a primary or secondary source. Then, evaluate its authorship, scholarship, bias and currency. Have a look at the section on “Evaluating Your Sources” in chapter 15 of Writing in the Works to help you. Write a 2-3 sentence summary of what you have found for each of the four criteria (authorship, scholarship, bias and currency).