© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 1 Chapter 7 Thinking Critically about the Research Process Technical Communication, 12 th Edition John M. Lannon Laura Gurak

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 2 The Procedural Stages of the Research Process Searching for information Recording your findings Documenting your sources Writing the document

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 3 The Inquiry Stages of the Research Process  Ask the right questions  Explore a balance of views  Achieve adequate depth in your research  Evaluate your findings  Interpret your findings

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 4 Ask the Right Questions The answers you uncover can only be as good as the questions you ask Explore a Balance of Views  What do informed sources have to say about this topic?  On which points do sources agree?  On which points do sources disagree?

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 5 Achieving Adequate Depth

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 6 Evaluating Your Findings  Is this information accurate, reliable, and relatively unbiased?  Do the facts verify the claim?  How much of the information is useful?  Is this the whole or the real story?  Do I need more information?

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 7 Interpreting Your Findings  What are my conclusions and do they address my original research question?  Do any findings conflict?  Are other interpretations possible?  Should I reconsider the evidence?  What, if anything, should be done?

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 8 Primary vs. Secondary Sources Primary research means getting information directly from the source by conducting interviews and surveys and by observing people, events, or processes in action. Secondary research is information obtained second hand by reading what other researchers have compiled in books and articles.

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 9 Web-based Secondary Sources  Subject directories  Search engines  Wikipedia

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 10 Web-based Secondary Sources  General commercial, organizational, and academic Web sites  Government Web sites  Online news outlets and magazines  Blogs  Wikis  Internet forums and electronic mailing lists  E-libraries  Periodicals databases

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 11 Sources for Primary Research  Unsolicited inquiries  Informative interviews  Surveys and questionnaires  Observation and Experiment

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 12 Guidelines for Researching on the Internet  Expect limited results from any one search engine or subject directory.  When using a search engine, select keywords or phrases that are varied and technical rather than general.  When using Wikipedia or other online encyclopedias, check out the footnotes.  Consider the domain type.  Identify the site’s purpose and sponsor.  Look beyond the style of a site.  Assess the currency of the site’s materials.  Assess the author’s credentials and assertions.  Use bookmarks and hotlists for quick access to favorite Web sites.  Save or print what you need before it changes or disappears.  Download only what you need; use it ethically; obtain permission; and credit your sources.

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 13 Informative Interviews Phone interviews In-person interviews Fax interviews interviews

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 14 Stages of an Interview  Plan the interview  Prepare the interview  Conduct the interview  Conclude the interview

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 15 Surveys and Questionnaires A Survey helps you to form impressions of the concerns, preferences, attitudes, beliefs, needs, or perceptions of a large, identifiable group by studying representatives of that group. A questionnaire is the tool of a survey.

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 16 Stages of a Survey  Define the purpose and the target population  Identify the sample group  Define the survey method  Analyze samples

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 17 Personal Observation and Experiments Always the Final Step - Make sure you have a plan and take detailed notes immediately

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers. 18 Any Questions? For additional help reviewing this chapter, please visit the Companion Website for your text at