research project ballenger, bruce p. the curious researcher: a guide to writing research papers. new...
TRANSCRIPT
Research Project
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
WHAT’S THE POINT? WHAT IS RESEARCH?
• The purpose of research is to LEARN or CONFIRM• Research must involve MULTIPLE AUTHORITIES• Research should begin with something YOU already KNOW
• You must be able to ask questions on the topic
• Research is finding the ANSWERS to QUESTIONS• Research is REPORTING OUT your findings• Research is a LIFE SKILL NOT JUST AN ENGLISH
ASSIGNMENT
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
SKILLS Reading
comprehension Finding answers to
questions Summarizing Paraphrasing Comparison of facts
Analysis of new material
Evaluation of authorities
Writing skills Organization of ideas Development of ideas Tying together ideas
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Where to begin? Informational reading
assignments on content
Questioning activities on informational reading
Confirming information with multiple sources
Summarizing informational reading in own words
Paraphrasing informational reading in own words
Compiling facts from multiple informational readings on same topic
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Practical Application
Have students write questions on topic every day
Have students evaluate questions from worksheets text books
Teach students good questioning Model good questioning
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Practical Application
Have students read informational text regularly and frequently (newspaper articles, online articles, textbook, journals, websites)
Use Active Reading Guide for non fiction Use It Says I Say worksheet Use Magazine/NEWS worksheets
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
THE RESEARCH PROJECT SHOULD BE AN EXTENSION
OF GOOD READING/WRITING PRACTICE THAT IS ALREADY
BEING DONE IN CLASS REGULARLY
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Question: It Says: I Say: So:Develop questions to ask about your topic that your article answers.
Find information from the text to answer the question. You may use direct quotes, paraphrasing or summarizing. Be sure to record the page number where the information was found.
Write a complete sentence using the information from the text to answer the question.
Where do I go from here?What other questions do I need to ask?What other information do I need to know?What more can I learn about this fact?
NAME: _______________________________________________________________Copy citation from article: ( ) {Author, page)
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Active Reading – NonFictionName __________________________________Title __________________ by____________________Predict: Make educated guesses about what you are reading. Preview the topic and the type of nonfiction. You can do this by making inferences from the title and skimming the text. Then try to figure out the author’s main idea by looking for a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. Also, think about the facts, reasons, and details the author may use to support the main ideas.
What will this selection be about?What main idea will the writer have about the topic?What evidence might the writer use to back up his or her ideas?
Connect: Consider what you already know about the topic. Compare people and events with those in your own life. Reflect on any experiences you have had that relate to the topic. Read with the purpose of getting information or a new point of view on the topic.
What have I heard or read about this topic?Whom or what does this selection remind me of?When have I been in a situation like the one described here?
Question: As you read, pause occasionally to question anything you do not understand. Reread any section that seems unclear to you. Read on to find answers to your questions. Discuss lingering questions with other readers.
What is the writer’s point here?Why is the writer giving me these facts?What does this point have to do with the writer’s main idea?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Steps to Research Step One – Topic
Discover your subject Develop “working knowledge” of subject Narrow your subject by finding your focusing question
Step Two – preliminary research Plan a research strategy Fine tune search terms Develop “focused knowledge” Plan interviews or surveys
Step Three – Refining Research Completing fact sheets Midway Research Prompt Advanced search techniques Interviews and surveys
Step Four - Writing Fact sheets to body paragraphs
Step Five – Final publishing Clarify Purpose and hone in thesis Writing introduction and conclusions Revise Draft Edit, proofread and finalize citations Final Draft Evaluation
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Get Curious!Get Curious!
Controversies
Places
Places
Jobs hobbies
history
TechnologiesThings Trends
People
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Choose three titlesChoose three titles
Controversies
Places
Places
Jobshobbies
history
TechnologiesThings Trends
PeopleMake 3 columns, make these the Make 3 columns, make these the titlestitles of your columns of your columns
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
BRAINSTORM!BRAINSTORM!
ControversiesPlaces
PlacesJobs
hobbies
history
TechnologiesThings Trends
PeopleWhat comes to mind when you What comes to mind when you think about what you know or think about what you know or what you might want to know what you might want to know about this category?about this category?
5 minutes
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Out of Ideas?Out of Ideas?
ControversiesPlaces
PlacesJobs
hobbies
history
TechnologiesThings Trends
PeopleStart a new column with a new Start a new column with a new topic!topic!
5 minutes
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Review your lists
Is there something on these lists that raises questions that research can help answer?
Are they potentially interesting questions? Does this item get at something I’ve always wondered
about? Might it open doors to knowledge that I think is
fascinating or relevant to my life? CIRCLE THEM!
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Is this a good topic? Does it raise questions I’d love to learn answers to? Does
it raise a lot of them? Do I feel strongly about it? Do I already have some ideas
about the topic that I’d like to explore? Can I find authoritative information to answer my
questions? Could I conduct an interview? An informal survey? Internet research?
Will it be an intellectual challenge? Will it force me to reflect on what I think?
Are a lot of people researching this topic or a similar one? Will I have a hard time finding sources in the library?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
EXERCISE 1.4
On a large piece of paper write the title of your possible topic
Take a few minutes to describe why you choose this topic
Spend 5 minutes briefly listing what you know about your topic already
5 minutes
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
EXERCISE 1.4 cont
Spend 10 minutes brainstorming a list of questions about your topic
Make this list as long as possible Try to see your topic in as many ways as
possible Push yourself it’s the most important step
10 minutes
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
EXERCISE 1.4 cont
Put your paper on the desk Move around the room reviewing the topics and
questions other students came up with On each paper add a question you would like
answered about the topic that is not on the list On each paper put a next to the ONE
question you find most interesting
3 minutes
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Exercise 1.5
Write the one question that you think would be most interesting on the top of a clean piece of paper
Build a new list of questions under that questionYou may be able to use some of the
questions from your classmates
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
“Researchable” questions Not too big or too small Focuses on some aspect of a topic about which
something has been said Interests the researcher People have a stake in the answer; it has
something to do with how we live or might live, what we care about, or what might be important for people to know
Implies an approach or different way of answering it
Raises more questions, the answer shouldn’t be simple
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Interesting Angles to Explore a Topic People Who has been influential in shaping the ideas in this topic
area? Do any have views that are intriguing to you? Could you profile the person or his contributions?
Trends What are the recent developments in this topic? Are any significant? Why?
Controversies What do experts in the field argue about? What aspect of the topic seems to generate the most heat? Which is most interesting to you? Why?
Impact What about your topic currently has the most effect on the most people? What may in the future? How? Why?
Relationships Can you put one thing in relationship to another? What is the relationship between your topic and _____?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Exercise 1.6
What is the relationship
between ____________
and ____________
?
??
??
??
??
TopicTopic
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Other ways to narrow your subject
Time Limit the time frame of your project (month, year, decade, era)
Place Anchor a larger subject to a particular location (state, city, continent, etc.)
Person Use the particulars of a person to reveal generalities about the group
Story Ground a larger story in the specifics of a “smaller” one
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Decide on a Purpose
To Explore (if you don’t know the answer) Write what you found in your research Best and truest answers to your questions
To Argue (if you think you know the answer) State a central claim and make it convincing
To Analyze (test a theory) Collect data, examine it closely, see how closely it
conforms to what you initially thought to be true
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Step 2 Developing a Research Strategy
Cyber Sources•General search engines
•Online data bases •Subscription sites
•Specialized search engines
Living Sources•Interviews•Surveys
Print Sources•Books
•Magazines & Newspapers•Government documents
•Pamphlets
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy
Find ENOUGH information Find VARIED sources Find QUALITY information
HOME
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research StrategyCyber Sources General search engines
Google: To eliminate .coms, .nets
search term site:gov, edu, org To find definitions
Define:search term Yahoo Bing Dogpile
Online data bases Infoohio: ebscohost: select databases, click full text, enter search
term, refine if necessary Subscription sites Specialized search engines
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research StrategyWorking Bibliography Store information from EVERY source
consulted during search process Use www.easybib.com for easy
autocitations Cut and paste citations
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Defining Search Terms SEARS book for topic headings Boolean searching : AND, OR, NOT, Advance searches
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Evaluating sources Primary vs. Secondary Objective vs. Subjective Stable or Unstable Timely (When was it published?) Journal articles vs. Magazine articles Often-cited Authors
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Developing focused knowledge
1. Does this information help create a context for the question I’m posing?
Can it provide background on what has already been said about it and who has said it?
Can it provide background on what is already known and when it was discovered?
Can it provide background on why this is a question worth asking?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Developing focused knowledge
2. Does the information support or develop an idea or claim I’m making?
Is it evidence that what I’m saying might be true?
Does it help refine or qualify an idea I have about my topic?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Developing focused knowledge
3. Does the information challenge or complicate what I’ve been thinking about my topic?
Does it raise new questions I hadn’t thought of?
Is it a point of view that is opposed to mine? If so, what do I think about it?
Does this change my thinking in some way?
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Exercise 2.1 Press ConferencePrepare a 5 – 7 minute talk on your topic to your class who
will then follow up with questions Focus on what you’ve learned so far that most
surprised you, or the most common misconceptions, or give background to explain why your topic is important, tell some personal stories
Don’t read a speech; you can have notes, but avoid reading them
Consider visuals: power point? pictures? Graphs? charts? Maps?
Begin by stating your focusing question
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Research Strategy: Working Bibliography
Books
Magazine and Journals
Newspaper
MetaSearch Engines
Single Search Engines
Specialized Search Engines
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Step Three: Refining Research
Completing the fact sheets
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Subtopic: I II III IV V
A B CD E
Question:
Each fact needs to be a complete sentence, in your own words. No “things” “stuff” “you” “get” “a lot” (or variations of those words). Each fact needs to have a page number or “ws” for
website. You must have information from at least 3 sources.
Source# ____
Fact 1
Fact 3
Fact 2
Fact 4
Source# ____
Fact 1
Fact 3
Fact 2
Fact 4
Source# ____
Fact 1
Fact 3
Fact 2
Fact 4
Source# ____
Fact 1
Fact 3
Fact 2
Fact 4
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Step Four: DraftingWriting Leads
Anecdote: Think of a little story that nicely frames what your paper is about. Scene: Begin by giving your readers a look at some revealing aspect of your topic. A paper on the
destruction of tropical rain forests might begin with a description of what the land looks like after loggers have left.
Profile: Try a lead that introduces someone who is important to your topic, a case study for example. Background: Maybe you could begin by providing important and possibly surprising background
information on your topic. A paper on steroid use might start by citing the explosive growth in use by high school athletes in the last ten years. A paper on a novel or an author might begin with a review of what critics have had to say.
Quotation: Sometimes, you encounter a great quote that beautifully captures the question your paper will explore or the direction it wil take.
Dialogue: Open with dialogue between people involved in your topic. A paper on the connection between spouse abuse and alcoholism could begin with a conversation between the writer and a woman who had been abused by her husband.
Question: Pointedly ask your readers the questions you asked that launched your research or the questions your readers might raise about your topic.
Contrast: Try a lead that compares two apparently unlike things that highlight the problem or dilemma the paper will explore.
Announcement: Sometimes the most appropriate beginning is one which announces what the paper is about. Though such openings are sometimes not particularly compelling, they are direct. A paper with a complex topic or focus may be well served by simply stating in the beginning the main idea you’ll explore and what play you’ll follow
Ballenger, Bruce P. The Curious Researcher: a Guide to Writing Research Papers. New York: Longman, 2009. Print.
HOME
Step Five: Revision and Refinement