Independent Study: An Overview

PURPOSE: To research a topic of personal interest to you. Clarify a career choice. Solve a problem that has always bothered you.

TOPICS What do you want to do with your life? What do you want to learn more about? What makes you angry? What do you want to change in society, in America, in the world?

SOURCES Primary sources: Secondary sources: Conduct an original survey Conduct an interview Experiment or observation (optional) Secondary sources: Books General press articles Peer reviewed journals Op/Ed articles Historical documents (diaries, letters, tracts, declarations, columns, proclamations, treatises, essays, commentaries, manifestos, mandates, addresses, lectures, eyewitness accounts, charters, principles, speeches, and dictionaries).

Primary Source Requirements: Original Survey: at least ten questions of varying types. questions should explore attitudes. Original Interview: 3-5 questions that require more than a yes/no response. Interview an expert or survey respondent.

PRIMARY SOURCE OPTIONS: Original Observations: you may wish to conduct a series of observations to help you prove your thesis. Original Experiments: you may wish to conduct an experiment to help prove your thesis.

Secondary Source Requirements: Read at least part of one book. Read at least one peer reviewed journal. Read at least two general press articles. Read at least three opinion pieces. Secondary Source Options: Preview at least one documentary. Interpret at least one image.

A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION: Is researchable Is answerable in whole or in part Is important to many people Is suggestive of other questions Is innovative Is provocative Is honest and direct and not deceptive Is clear and unambiguous Its answer has possible use in the world

Is genetic engineering beneficial for civilization? Is researchable Is answerable in whole or in part Is important to many people Is suggestive of other questions Is innovative Is provocative Is honest and direct and not deceptive Is clear and unambiguous Its answer has possible use in the world

What is the impact of social media on our culture? Is researchable Is answerable in whole or in part Is important to many people Is suggestive of other questions Is innovative Is provocative Is honest and direct and not deceptive Is clear and unambiguous Its answer has possible use in the world

SAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Are girls being exploited at younger and younger ages? How do sleeping disorders affect families, communities, societies? Should the US be spending millions in the war on drugs? Are we a loveless culture? How much influence should religious beliefs have on lawmaking? Why is Holocaust education still necessary in our society? Is society dehumanizing itself by not recognizing the existence of modern slaves? What is the impact of advertising on our culture?

Sample research questions: Have corporations/government become complicit in the obesity epidemic? Can schools recognize and curb hazing? Is the theatre district in danger of extinction? Why is it man’s nature to struggle for power? Can a child’s education be considered complete without exposure to the arts? What are the bases for denying medical treatment? How have events in the Middle East affected American attitudes towards terrorism? Is polygamy a violation of freedom of religion or a violation of human rights?

How do I set up the research paper? Title Page Purpose Page Methodology Page Operational Definitions Page Clean Copy of Your Survey Page Graphs of Survey Results Pages Conclusions Pages Limitations Page Suggestions for Further Research Page Works Cited Page Appendix Pages

TITLE PAGE: In center of center, title of your project. Beneath it in center, your thesis. In lower right corner, your name, date. Colorful graphics optional.

PURPOSE PAGE: 1-2 paragraphs explaining why you chose your topic and what you hope to accomplish by your research into it. Written in first person. Personal and impassioned.

METHODOLOGY PAGE: 2-3 paragraphs describing what research you did, what sources you contacted, what methods you used to obtain your data. Explain how each method generally helped you to prove your point, understand your issue, attain your goal.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS PAGE (optional): A listing of terms you are using in your paper that are relevant to your topic and that your readers may not be familiar with. As you read your secondary sources, highlight any terminology. This way, you have your op-defs ready to go.

COPY OF YOUR SURVEY: Reserve a clean copy of your survey. Save your survey on your computer or USB.

GRAPHS OF SURVEY DATA: Use Create-a-Graph or other site to make your graphs. Use bar, line, or pie graphs depending on the demands of your results.

CONCLUSIONS PAGES: Should include the following and be organized in a way that best fits with your data: Analysis of the complexity of your topic; opposing viewpoints on it. Analysis of your primary source(s); why you believe your respondents answered as they did. Comparison of primary and secondary research; speculation about why your data does or does not reflect experts’ data.

CONCLUSIONS PAGES: PART I: Summary of secondary sources. PART II: Analysis of and conjecture about primary sources, including why you believe your respondents answered as they did. PART III: Compare your secondary sources with your primary sources, including speculating why your data does or does not reflect experts’ data.

LIMITATIONS PAGE: Answer: What obstacles prevented my research from going further? Avoid: could not find any information. did not have enough time.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH PAGE: Answer: What would you do if you could continue researching your topic next year?

WORKS CITED PAGE: Use MLA format. Online sites: www.easybib.com www.bibme.org

APPENDIX: Transcripts of your interviews. Notes from your observations and experiments (optional).