ENG 202 RESEARCH

WRITINGFebruary, 07 2010

ANNOUNCEMENTS   “New Muslim Cool: A Conversation with Hamza

Perez.” Mr. Perez is a rapper, activist, and interfaith teacher in Pittsburgh. He is the subject of a recent documentary titled New Muslim Cool.

The film (83 minutes) will be shown on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 3:30 in 107 Weyandt Hall, and Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 6:00 p.m. in Stouffer Auditorium.

Next Monday(Feb. 15th): Undergraduate Conference from 8 am to 4:00pm. Please pick at least two sessions. Attendance vouchers will be provided.

Blogging about the sessions1. Which sessions have you visited?2. What were the session about?3. Share with us one important concept/idea that you

learnt from each session you attened.

AGENDA Gladwell Chapter 3. Presentation by

Kenzi Mick and Caitlin In-class Blogging about Chapter 3:

Stickiness Factor Talking about academic search engines. Evaluation of sourcesGoals: To get you thinking about the

reliability and credibility of a source. To learn how to evaluate sources.

To do guided writing based on Tipping Point Chapter 3

CLASS DISCUSSION ON STICKINESS FACTOR How does Gladwell define the stickiness

factor? What makes a message memorable

according to Gladwell? What examples does he give to support

his claims?

IN-CLASS BLOGGING: GUIDED WRITING ON CHAPTER 3 Discussion Questions. See the handout.

STICKINESS FACTOR Stickiness means that a message makes

an impact – it’s memorable (p. 25). It refers to a unique quality that compels

the idea to “stick” in the minds of the public and influence their future behavior.

The law of few says that there are exceptional people out there who are capable of starting epidemics. A tiny percentage of people do the majority of the work to build momentum (p19-21).

The lesson of stickiness is: there is a simple way to package information that, under the right circumstances, can make it irresistible.

CHAPTER 3: THE STICKINESS FACTOR Sesame street in different countries: Turkeyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjQQMZrgnM0South Korea:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjrxFt_YO1cSouth America:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ01JuLPZPU

RESEARCH PROCESS: WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WHAT IS NEXT? Found a subject that interests you. Blogged about our own definitions of social

diversity. Learned how to narrow down your topic (time,

place, people) Constructed possible research questions Did free writing on your social action projects

BEFORE YOU COLLECT YOUR OWN DATA….

1. Develop a strategy for your research early on.

2. Attack your questions from multiple levels google, wikipedia, and library)—You are likely to succeed to explore your topic if you search it with various tools

3. Be able to evaluate the reliability of your sources.

4. Work on your introductions

5. Visit the library to find academic articles and books

ACADEMIC SEARCH ENGINES Google Google scholar New York times EBSCOHOST Books and textbooks

Scholarly Publications Popular Publications

Journals

Articles

Books

Research studies

DEVELOPING A WORKING KNOWLEDGE Online sources Internet Library Encyclopedias

CLASS IDEAS ABOUT WIKIPEDIA

Advantages for research Disadvantages for research

EVALUATING ONLINE SOURCES Always keep your purpose in mind. Favor educational and governmental

sources over commercial ones. Favor authored documents over those

without authors. Favor documents that are avai;able in

print over those only available online Favor web pages that have been

recently updated. Favor web sources that documents their

claims over those that don’t.

NEXT STEP IN YOUR RESEARCH:EVALUATION OF SOURCES

Bibliographic citations usually include three main components: author(s) name, title, and publication information.

You need to determine relevance and authority. This is one of the most important research skills in the research process.

EVALUATING SOURCES See the handout on evaluating Authored

and Un-authored Documents. Work in groups.

See pages 191-192 on Writing at the university.

EVALUATING YOUR SOURCES1. Authority 

What are the author's qualifications? Is the document written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? Is the author affiliated with an institution? 

2. Accuracy Does the article cite its sources? Are the conclusions justified and supported by evidence? Is the information reliable and free of error?

3. Comprehensiveness Are the topics explored in depth? Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched? Does the work update other sources? Is the information useful or repetitious?

4. Validity Does the author inform or persuade? Is the language free of emotion-rousing words or bias? Does the author express a particular point of view?

5. Ease of use Is the resource organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? 

SELECTIVE READING FOR YOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF AUDIENCE What is the difference between a journal

article and a magazine article? Suicide among college students. Compare

the following articles:http://psycnet.apa.org/?fa=main.doiLanding&doi=10.1037/0735-7028.32.1.97http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1194020,00.html

TIME.COM Anne Giedinghagen wanted desperately to

stay in school. Having struggled with depression and anorexia since the sixth grade, the rail-thin Cornell junior was meeting regularly with a therapist at the university's counseling center in Ithaca, N.Y. But late last fall, when she told her therapist about her increasingly strong urge to kill herself, Giedinghagen received an ultimatum from the school she loved so much: she had to get better or she would have to leave. So she did what any crafty 20-year-old would do…..

PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE. VOL 32(1), FEB 2001, 97-100.

Are suicidal thoughts and depression increasing or decreasing among college students? What life circumstances are the most critical to explore with depressed or suicidal college students? This article focuses on the rate of self-assessed depression and suicide among college students and examines contributing factors and help-seeking behavior. Results of the study indicated that 53% of the sample stated that they experienced depression since beginning college, with 9% reporting that they had considered committing suicide since beginning college. Suggestions for college mental health practitioners related to programming, prevention, and psychoeducation are described.

ASSIGNMENTS Tipping Point Chapter 4 Read the online article titled: “Is google

making us stupid” http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

BREAKING THE CODE: ANALYZING RESEARCH WRITING SAMPLES

Skim through the research article with your group-mates. Do come active reading. (Read with a pen/highlighter in your hand). In your groups, address to the following questions;

What are the main sections of this research paper?

What is the research question? What is this article about? (Introduction, abstract)

What do you think the goal is in each section?

Who are the participants of this study?

What steps are followed to answer the research question(s) and study the participants? What is the methodology used in this research paper? (Methodology)

What are the findings? (Discussion /Findings/Results)