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