Thoughtful research: Moving beyond the topic!

Research is a real-life skill Research projects are training grounds for adult problem-solving and decision-making Which car should I buy and how much should I pay? Which candidate will best represent my interests? How can I convince my boss to accept my proposal? How should we work together to rebuild Iraq? Who do I believe?

Thoughtful research asks you to:  Analyze  Judge  Support or reject or critique  Prioritize  Evaluate  Plan  Debate  Conclude  Recommend  Justify  Argue  Propose  Invent

Thoughtful Research is more meaningful, and interesting

When you search: 4 tips:  Focus—what is your mission? your question? Be specific!  Strategize—select search tools and search terms with precision  Refine—attempt to improve your search results  Evaluate—which results to visit, which documents to use? Did I do good work?

Start with good questions  “Which one”  “How”  “What if”  “Should”  “Why” Brainstormer

 All research is inquiry-driven, based on good questions  Variety of access tools — search engines, subject directories, databases, books  Quality, balanced sources. No research holes!  Perfect bibliographic format  Original work, your own voice. No plagiarism! Quality Research

topic questions tentative thesis Process for developing a thoughtful Research thesis

Why, a thesis? A thesis statement declares what you intend to prove. A thesis gives your work focus. A good thesis statement makes the difference between a thoughtful research project and a simple retelling of facts. It makes the work worth doing!

I have a thesis. Where do I put it? The thesis statement is typically located at the end of your opening paragraph. (The opening paragraph serves to set the context for the thesis.)

How do I know if I have a solid tentative thesis?

What does a thesis look like? 2 Simple equations: Specific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis (or 3 Ts: Topic + ’Tude = Thesis) What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Your thesis

Attributes of a good thesis: Contestable—proposes an argument with which people could reasonably disagree. Provocative—takes a stand and justifies the discussion you will present. Coverable—could be adequately covered in the format of the project assigned. Specific and focused—proves a point without discussing “everything in the world about …” Provable—asserts your own conclusion based on solid evidence.

Don’t rush your thesis!  A good tentative thesis will help you focus your search for information.  You must do a lot of background reading before you know enough about a subject to identify the key or essential questions.  You may not know how you stand on an issue until you have examined the evidence.  You will likely begin your research with a working, preliminary or tentative thesis which you will continue to refine until you are certain of where the evidence leads.

Be flexible! The evidence may lead you to a conclusion you didn't think you’d reach. It is perfectly okay to change your thesis!

How will you find a thesis? As you read look for:  Interesting contrasts or comparisons or patterns emerging in the information  Something about the topic that surprises you  Ideas that make you wonder why?  Priorities you can weigh  Something an “expert” says that makes you respond, “No way! That can’t be right!” or “Yes, absolutely. I agree!”

1.Does the thesis inspire a reasonable reader to ask, “How?” or “Why?” 2.Would a reasonable reader NOT respond with “Duh!” or “So what?” or “Gee, no kidding!” or “Who cares?” 3.Does the thesis avoid general phrasing and/or sweeping words such as “all” or “none” or “every”? 4.Does the thesis lead the reader toward the topic sentences (the subtopics needed to prove the thesis)? 5.Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper or project? If you cannot answer “YES” to these questions, what changes must you make in order for your thesis to pass these tests? Try these five tests on your own tentative thesis:

Are these good thesis statements? (Use the five tests to decide.) 1.Terrorism should not happen. 2.The causes of the Civil War were economic, social, and political. 3.The Simpsons represents the greatest animated show in the history of television. 4.The Simpsons treats the issues of ethnicity, family dynamics, and social issues effectively. 5.Often dismissed because it is animated, The Simpsons treats the issue of ethnicity more powerfully than did the critically praised All In The Family.