SEPTEMBER 18, 2009

In the previous session you… Had a brief game Formulated possible interview questions for your chosen topics

In this session we will… Discuss the proper way of compiling a research bibliography Begin writing the official Research Proposal

LET’S WATCH THIS SHORT CLIP ABOUT SOMEONE DOING RESEARCH, AND TRY TO SEE THE GOOD AND BAD ASPECTS OF WHAT HE DID

SHELDON COOPER, IN AN EFFORT TO FIND OUT A BETTER WAY TO MAKE FRIENDS, PLANS AND CONDUCTS HIS OWN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. HE CONSTRUCTS A 211-ITEM QUESTIONNAIRE AND RESOLVES TO GO TO THE BOOKSTORE TO BUY A BOOK ON FRIENDSHIP THEORY.

IN THIS REGARD HE TRIES TO ACQUIRE THE TWO MAIN TYPES OF SOURCES: PRIMARY (VIA THE QUESTIONNAIRE) AND SECONDARY (VIA THE BOOK). THIS KIND OF ‘RESOURCE OR DATA GATHERING’ OR ‘COMPILATION OF A BIBLIOGRAPHY’ WILL BE OUR MAIN TOPIC FOR THE NEXT FEW SESSIONS..

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY Bibliography is taken from the Latin words biblion, which means book, and graphia, which means writing. This roughly translates to ‘books used in writing.’

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY We need to do this so the reader can verify our sources and feel secure that we have not plagiarized will have a list of sources for further reading can estimate the ‘value’ of our work based on range, timeliness, and reliability

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY The BEST SOURCES for any scholarly research are any products of, likewise, scholarly endeavors. Scholarly Books, Journals, Vertical Files Interviews, Reliable Surveys

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY Remember that you must look for a source to fit your objectives, focusing question or subordinate questions. DO NOT look for a source first then ask questions later.

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY To build background, you may use an Encyclopedia or Wiki document. To define key terms, you may use a Dictionary (the more specialized it is, the better)

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY To see current trends/data, you may look at scholarly periodicals or journals. To retrace data from the past, you may use archival sources like the microfilm and vertical files.

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY To retrieve general data on locations, you may use an atlas, a census, or a yearbook. To collect a person’s profile, you should find a biography.

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY Remember that there are TWO MAIN KINDS of sources: Primary: obtaining raw information (experiments, surveys, interviews) Secondary: documents/files written about the same topic (journal articles, books)

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY Remember that your paper’s value is directly proportional to the reliability of your sources. The better your sources, the better your paper will probably be (your analysis weighs heavily too).

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY You can see the value of your sources by: -Looking up the authors’ credentials -Looking up the sources’ dates -Looking up the publishers’ reputability -Looking at the medium of publication (is it a popular magazine made for profit or is it really meant for scholarly research?)

RESEARCH PAPER: COMPILING A RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY When you cite your sources, you must follow the MLA (Modern Language Association) method of citation. You can find the rules on pages of your textbook. We will practice this in the next session.

TASK: SW Directions: Accomplish Exercise 4.1 on a sheet of Size 4. Simply number your paper 1-10 and write the corresponding letter beside each number. Format: Size 4 Submission: End of the session

ASSIGNMENT Accomplish the Research Proposal Worksheet Provide all the information demanded by the worksheet

REMEMBER A paper’s results are only as credible, or as trustworthy, as its sources. Can the same thing be said about life? Are we only as trustworthy as the things we say or do? How can we determine if we can trust the person next to us?

From Ernest Hemmingway “The best way to find out if you can trust someone is to trust them.”