The Curious ResearcherChapter 1

The Importance of Getting CuriousChoose a topic you are curious about

This will help to make your essay a success If you don’t like what you’re writing about, this will

most likely show through into your essay

Curiosity is a driving force behind your research paper

Choose your research topic carefully If you have already chosen a topic, and you find

yourself losing interest, try approaching it from a different angle.

Think Personal Experience “What have I seen or experienced that raises

questions that research can help answer?”

Interest InventoryMake a List:

1. Places 2. Trends3. Things4. Technologies5. People6. Controversies7. History8. Jobs9. Habits10. Hobbies

Interest InventoryBrainstorm different words or phrases that come to

mind when you think about the different categoriesWrite your ideas under each columnReview your lists

Look for a single item in any column that seems promising

Ask:Is this something that raises questions that research

can help answer?Are they potentially interesting questions?Does this item get at something I’ve always

wondered about?

Meet AmandaUnder her Trends column, Amanda wrote “White Teeth”Some questions she developed were:1. Are tooth whiteners safe?2. What makes teeth turn brown?3. Can teeth get too white?

From these questions, Amanda was able to come up with a tentative topic and research question.

Other Ways to Find a TopicFor Complete List pg. 28 – 29

1. Surf the Net2. Search a research database3. Pay attention to what you’ve read recently4. Consider practical topics5. Think about issues, ideas, or materials

you’ve encountered in other classes6. Collaborate

What Makes a Question “Researchable”?It’s not too big or too smallIt focuses on some aspect of a topic about

which something has been saidIt interests the researcherSome people have a stake in the answerIt implies an approach or various means of

answering itIt raises more questions. The answer might

not be simple.

OrganizationStarting research with a thesis or main point

before starting research is efficient It sets you on a steady path to finding the information

you will need to find to use as support in your paper

ON THE OTHER HAND

Beginning with broad questions also has its benefits

By researching without knowing your thesis statement can help you discover different ideas

Research topics are fluid and can be dictated more by ongoing research than by the original chosen topic

Working KnowledgeDevelop a working knowledge of your topicWorking knowledge meaning a broader

understanding of the range of your topicHaving a working knowledge will help you

become familiar with important aspects of you topic, such as:

1. Definitions2. Debates3. Experts4. Context

Developing Working KnowledgeSearch General and Subject Encyclopaedias

Encyclopedia Britannica Columbia Encyclopedia Ecyclopedia.com Subject Encyclopaedias (list on page 36)

Use the Internet Public libraryTry Google ScholarGo to the LIBRARY!!As you are developing your working knowledge, start compiling a bibliography!

Narrowing the SubjectBegin your research by narrowing a general

topicIf a topic is too large you will find that the

information available is overwhelmingYou want to create a manageable topic that

you can explore in detail

Narrowing the SubjectAlmost every subject you will choose to write about

for this class and for this paper has been written about before

Try to find a unique angle on a familiar topicTake a closer look at some aspect of a larger subjectTips to Narrow:1. Time – Limit the time frame of your project2. Place – Anchor a larger subject to a particular place3. Person – Use the particulars of a person to reveal

generalities about a group4. Story – Ground a larger story in the specifics of a “smaller”

one

Potential Topic: Global Warming1.Time: Climate Change in the next 50 Years

2. Place: Climate Change in Canada

3. Person: Al Gore4. Story: Climate Change and

Polar Bears

Narrowing the Subject Cont…If you are unsure how to specify what you’re

seeking, ask yourself: “who?”, “what?”, “where?”, “when?”, “why?”, or “how?”

Crafting Your Research QuestionChoose the type of question you want to

answer:A sense-making question arises when we

are searching for an explanationA hypothesis-testing question tests our

assumptions about what we believe to be trueA relationship-analyzing question has to

do with figuring out cause and effect relationships as well as comparisons

Purpose for a Research AssignmentTo Explore (a.k.a. Academic

Inquiry)You pose the research question because you

want to uncover the answerYou want to write about what you believe is the

best answer to the question you’ve posedExploratory essays often begin with sense-

making or relationship-analyzing questions

Purpose for a Research AssignmentTo Argue (State a Convincing

Claim)You believe you already have the answer to

your research question (i.e. you have a hypothesis you want to test by looking at the evidence)

When you are convinced your hypothesis is correct, you will argue your claim

Your purpose is to state a central claim and make it convincing in order to influence what your readers think

Reading for ResearchThe best readers are guided by purpose:

They know why they are reading something and what they hope to get from

it

When reading for research you should:1. Know what type of text you are reading2. Know where to look for what you need to

know3. Gain prior knowledge of the topic you are

reading about

Reading Rhetoricallywat up? how r u doin 2day? wanna

meet at the mall l8r? c u in a bit lol vs

Structural symbolic interactionism understands the creation of self and identity

to occur within existing social structures (Burke)

There are fundamental differences between these types of texts, and how we read them should be

different too.

Reading RhetoricallyReading strategies:Have a working knowledgeKnow your purposeUnderstand the article’s organizationUse a highlighterMake notes in the marginsRead and Reread

Example in TextTo see an example of how to focus your paper, look at page 44 in your text

When writing your research paper, remember:

For next week:Remember that there will be a quiz next

weekMake sure that you have a copy of the

handout for the Theater Review

Theater ReviewMust contain two full pages of good writing

Must contain research about the author and the play