Senior Research Imperialism Resonating

What are we going to be doing?

0Studying a modern culture0Looking for the signs of cultural imperialism in that

culture0Analyzing a text (3rd quarter reading!) 0Doing original research 0Writing an analytic essay

Why are we doing this?

0To prep for college research rigor0To work on combining various mediums of analysis in

a major work 0To become more aware of the world around us 0To have “more than one story” about a different

culture

What is research?

0According to you…0According to the OED…

0 The act of searching carefully for or pursuing a specified thing or person; an instance of this.

0 1577   tr. ‘F. de L'Isle’ Legendarie sig. Givv,   Being deliuered of that which they most feared, which was the researche for the Princes imprisonment.

The Process0 1. Choose a topic in which you have an interest.

0 Remember that if your topic is too recent or too narrow in scope you may have difficulty finding information on it. If your topic is too broad you will retrieve a lot of information about various aspects of the topic and it will be difficult to choose related articles. In this case you will need  to narrow the focus of your topic.

0 2. Gather background information about your topic. General or specialized encyclopedias are useful for getting basic information.

0 3. Plan your search strategy to find relevant information.

0 Choose keywords that describe your topic. 0 These will often consist of a broad term such as "special education" and secondary terms, which

describe some aspect of your topic such as "academic achievement." Other secondary terms can limit the scope and further refine your search, such as "elementary education." Each keyword represents a concept and concepts can be combined using using a Positional Operator such as AND, OR, NOT, ADJACENT, NEAR, or WITH (Boolean Logic).

0 4. Evaluate sources for appropriateness or quality.

Newspapers Examples of Newspapers: Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times 

Audience: General publicCoverage: Any subject of interest; newsworthy events;

local coverage

Written By: Professional journalists; some articles by specialists

Timeliness: up-to-date coverage (in the most recent issues)

Length: 50-2,000 wordsContent: Dependent upon the type of article:

analysis, statistics, graphics, photographs, editorial opinion; no bibliography or list of sources

Slant: Tends to be mainstream/neutral

Newspapers

0Try a newspaper for (example topics):Local statistical information, such as the number of children growing up in single- parent homes in Chicago, or the divorce rate in New York.

0Local coverage, such as legalized gambling on river boats, how the Congressional representatives from Chicago or Illinois voted.

0A recent story about a topic of interest, such as new drugs for Alzheimer's Disease.

MagazinesExamples of Magazines: Time, Newsweek, Life, Sports Illustrated, Jet, Ebony, Popular Science, Fortune.

Audience: General public to knowledgeable layperson 

Coverage: Popular topics; current affairs Written By: Professional journalists; not

necessarily specialists in the field; and writers of fiction, essayists 

Timeliness: current coverage (one week to several months) 

Length: 250 - 5,000 words Content: General discussion; editorial

opinion; graphics; photographs; advertisements; usually no bibliography or list of sources 

Slant: May reflect the editorial bias / slant of the magazine 

Magazines

0Try a magazine for (example topics):A cover story on the state of marriage in the US.

0An opinion essay on latchkey children.0Profiles and rankings of Fortune 500 companies with

the best childcare programs and benefits.

Journals0Examples of Journals American Political Science Review,

Journal of the American Medical Association, Psychological Review 

Audience: Scholars, specialists, and students 

Coverage: Research results, frequently theoretical in nature 

Written By: Specialists in the field; usually scholars with PhDs 

Timeliness: Current coverage (6 months - 3 years )

Length: >2,500 - 10,000 words Content:

Detailed examination; statistical analysis; graphics; bibliography usually included 

Slant:Supposed to present objective/neutral viewpoint; may be difficult to comprehend because of technical language or jargon; often sponsored by professional associations 

Journals

0Try a journal for (example topics):Case studies of children growing up in single-parent homes.

0Comparison study of economic stability in single-father versus single-mother homes.

0Psychological analysis of children who experience bitter custody battles.

BooksExample of Books: University Physics, Internet for Dummies, Closing of the American Mind, Introduction to Economics

Audience: Ranges from the general public to specialists 

Coverage: In-depth coverage of a topic; compilation of scholarly articles on a topic 

Written By: Specialists/scholars Timeliness: Currency varies (usually 2 years or

longer) 

Length: Minimum of 150 pages to multi-volume

Content: varies from general discussion to detailed analysis; usually includes extensive bibliography 

Slant: Perspective entirely dependent on author; may be sponsored or published by professional associations 

Books

0Try a book for (example topics):An introduction to the principles of economics.

0A children's book written to help them cope with death or divorce.

The InternetAudience: General public; children to senior citizens; knowledgeable layperson;

scholars; anyone Coverage: Popular topics; personal information; current affairs; government

information; research; scholarly information; fun and games; and more... 

Written By: Anyone: professional journalists; children; teenagers (high school students); members of general public; scholars and researchers; poets and writers of fiction; essayists; college students; advocates and activists; and more... 

Timeliness: Varies wildly: may be very current coverage or very out-of-date information, or undated.

Length: Can vary greatly.Content: Anything; general discussion; editorial opinion; graphics; photographs;

advertisements; statistical analysis; detailed analysis; fact; fiction; fraud; and more... 

Slant: Depends: May reflect the editorial bias / slant of the web page creator; may be objective or neutral; may be geared for academic or professional audiences; may be unsupported personal opinion. 

The Internet

0Try a web resource for (example topics):Reviewing legislation on family issues.

0Finding research or other information about single parent families.

0Locating listservs and newsgroups for single parents.

What type of sources are going to be best for you?

Where can you find them?

Selecting the Right Source

0Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, Books, and Web Resources

0 It is important to think critically about possible sources of information for a paper or project. Who has written the item? Why? What would be credible to a professor or colleague?

0What is a reliable source? 0 You tell me!

Resource Available

0Ms. DeVries’ Wikipage0 Msdevriesenglish.wikispaces.com

0Elgin Library Website 0Borden Library0Google Scholar 0Google Books 0Original Research

Step One: Choosing a Topic

Step 2: Gathering Background Information

We will be in the lab tomorrow! So this is what you should begin with!

Step 3: Creating a PlanAfter you have completed your preliminary research you will be creating a “Research Proposal” or a formal plan for the continuation of your project

You will have a formal assignment sheet for this! But the notes should help!

What is a proposal?

The Purpose

0The purpose of a proposal is to ensure that a student or other party has done sufficient preliminary reading/research in the area of their interest

0To prove that they have thought about the issues involved and are able to provide more than a broad description of the topic which they are planning to research.

The Components

0 Abstract/summary statement of the research project:This one half to one page summary focuses on the research topic, its new, current and relevant aspects. Strive for clarity; your greatest challenge might be narrowing the topic

0 Review of research literatureA short and precise overview about the current state of research that is immediatelyconnected with your research project.0 This is where you will talk about the research you have

already done! What do you know? Why is this relevant?

The Components

0 Objective of the research project0 What is the goal of your research? 0 Why is your research important?

0 Outline the project0 What are you looking for?0 What are your research questions?0 What will you b

0 TimetableDevelop a time table indicating the sequence of research phases and the time that you will probably need for each phase.0 This will help you manage your time more efficiently so you don’t leave the

whole essay until the night before it is due!0 Working Bibliography