Research project
You choose the topic.
Library research training.
Identify a critical "conversation" connected to your topic.
Scaffolded assignments: Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, Research Paper.
Topic selection
"Conversations"
Write down two subjects/topics that interest you (these can be associated with your major if you want).
- What academic communities do you think study each topic/subject?
- What non-academic groups are interested in or implicated by each topic/subject?
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Make a list. These will be potential sites for research later on.
Topic Selection
"Questions"
Write down two or three questions you have related to each subject/topic.
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Do your questions lead to research? A good research question will lead you to specific sites for research (not databases, conversations).
- Are your questions focused? A good research question will lead to a manageable discussion that balances detail and scope.
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Are they complex? A good research question never elicits a simple answer.
After Break
By the time you come back, have a couple of ideas in mind for your project. You can change/adjust, but you'll want to have something clear in mind.
We will start the second half of the semester in the library learning how to locate, evaluate, and integrate researched materials into our own original projects.