Why bother learning how to do research?

Four Steps in Planning a Research Paper This presentation is proudly filched from the book The Craft of Research (Booth, Colomb, and Williams, 2nd Ed.)

Find a topic specific enough to let you master a reasonable amount of information on it. Ex 1) “the history of scientific writing” Ex2) “essays in the Proceedings of the Royal Society (1675-1750) as precursors to the modern scientific article”

Ask questions about that topic until you find some that catch your interest. Ex 1) How did the early Royal Society authors guarantee the reliability of their evidence? Ex 2) How do the differences between their procedures and modern ones reflect differences in the social structure of science?

Determine what kind of evidence that your readers will expect in support of your answers. Secondary sources? Primary sources? Quantitative data? Quotations from authorities?

Determine whether you can find sources that have that data.

Things to consider Entering an ongoing conversation Solving a problem that needs solving The question of significance A fundamentally recursive process Look up “recursive” in the OED.

From a Broad Topic to a Focused One Ex 1) The history of commercial aviation A topic is usually too broad if you can state it in 4 or 5 words. Ex 2) The crucial contribution of the military in the development of the DC-3 in the early years of commercial aviation This topic has been narrowed by adding specific kinds of words and phrases: nouns that are derived from verbs. Contribution, development To contribute, to develop

When you use nouns derived from verbs, your topic begins to resemble a claim. Ex 1) The history of commercial aviation Ex 2) The crucial contribution of the military in the development of the DC-3 in the early years of commercial aviation CLAIM Ex 1) Commercial aviation has a history. Ex 2) In the early years of commercial aviation, the military crucially contributed to the way the DC-3 developed.

practice: Narrowing a topic

From a Merely Interesting Question to Its Wider Significance Name your topic. Remember to use nouns derived from verbs. I am studying X. Ex) I am studying Lincoln’s beliefs about predestination in his early speeches.

Add a question. I am studying X because I want to find out who / what / when / where / whether / why / how Y. Ex) I am studying Lincoln’s beliefs about predestination in his early speeches because I want to find out how his belief in destiny influenced his understanding of the causes of the Civil War.

Motivate your question. Add another indirect question, a bigger and more general one that explains why you are asking your first question. Ex) I am working on Lincoln’s beliefs about predestination in his early speeches because I want to find out how his belief in destiny and God’s will influenced his understanding of the causes of the Civil war, in order to help my reader understand how his religious beliefs may have influenced his military decisions.

Finding Good Sources What make a good source? What kind of sources should I use? Where can I find them?

What makes a good source? Accuracy Are sources listed for the facts? Can information be verified through another source? Has the site been edited for grammar, spelling, etc.? Authority Is the publisher reputable? Is the sponsorship clear? Is a phone number or postal address available? Is there a link to the sponsoring organization? Is the author qualified to write on this topic? Objectivity Does the sponsor have commercial interests? Is advertising included on the page? Are there obvious biases? Currency Is a publication date indicated? Is there a date for the last update? Is the topic one that does not change frequently? Coverage Are the topics covered in depth? Does the content appear to be complete? What makes a good source?

What kinds of sources should I use? Primary vs. Secondary sources Scholarly vs. Popular sources Using real humans Using books Using periodicals

Where should I start? Google? Wikipedia? Books?

For Next Time… Bring a laptop or tablet For Next Time… Bring a laptop or tablet. Finding sources…introduction to library resources.