NOTE: To change the image on this slide, select the picture and delete it. Then click the Pictures icon in the placeholder to insert your own image. INTRODUCTION TO FIELD RESEARCH Professor Foster--Fall 2015 Modified from Assignment sheet by: Nick Vagoni, FIU Writing and Rhetoric Instructor

UP TO NOW YOU’VE BEEN CONDUCTING RESEARCH VIA SECONDARY SOURCES—RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY OTHER RESEARCHERS AND PUBLISHED IN NEWSPAPERS, PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS, WEBSITES, MAGAZINES, OR BOOKS Primary Research

Problem:  Sometimes, however, the research that you need simply hasn’t been published yet, and it’s up to you to go out into the world and find the information to fill the gaps in your knowledge of your subject.  That’s where field research comes in.

 For this project, you will conduct primary research in the form of an interview, a survey, or both, with the purpose of learning even more about the problem that you’ve been researching.  Conducting your own primary research will allow you to gain specific insights that you might not otherwise be able to find in secondary sources. Purpose of Field Research

For Example:  Surveying a group of fellow FIU students about a local problem could give you more specific and recent insights into that issue.  Similarly, interviewing an expert, such as an FIU professor, can allow you to get specific answers to your research questions, rather than relying on the questions that other researchers have asked in the past.  Interviewing an expert will also help you to learn more about the discourse community that you’ve been working in.

Incorporating Field Research Into Your Final Paper  You will use your field research in your final paper to support a practical solution to the problem you’ve been researching.  Bringing in your own primary sources can help boost your credibility by incorporating the voices of experts or others with first-hand experience on your topic.

Audience  Your audience for this project will be your classmates in your ENC 1102 class, as well as your instructor.

Genre  After conducting and recording your field research, you will write it up in a format similar to the “empirical research report” in A & B Chapter 12 (page 277).

Introduction  This section should include a brief explanation of your topic, its significance, and your research question(s).  Consider this a condensed version of the material from the topic proposal.  It should be approximately one page (about 350 words)

Method(s) This section should include a description of :  The methods that you used to conduct your research, including the specific interview or survey questions that you asked, where you conducted your research,  How you conducted your research (in person, online, etc.), and  Whom you surveyed (keeping sources anonymous is OK if sources prefer).

Results  This section should include the responses that you received.  For interviews, include all questions and responses.  For surveys, decide how you will display your data. Will you include numerical percentages only, or will you perhaps also include a graph or visual to show survey results?

Discussion  This section should include your own interpretation and analysis of your results.  In other words, you will reflect on the information that you gathered and draw conclusions about what it all means, how it helps to answer your research question(s), and how you might use it to help support the solution that you’re proposing.  This section should also make suggestions about how further field research could be done more effectively.

Allyn and Bacon As A Resource  Your report should include the elements on pages in the A & B see detailed descriptions of each section

Important  WHEN CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS OR SURVEYS, TELL YOUR INTERVIEWEES THAT THEIR WORDS MAY BE USED IN YOUR PROJECT AND READ BY YOUR CLASSMATES.  YOU MUST OBTAIN PARENTAL CONSENT TO INTERVIEW MINORS (ANYONE UNDER 18)

Grading Criteria :  Does the introduction clearly and effectively explain the research topic and the research question(s)?  -Does the methods section clearly and thoroughly explain how the field research was conducted?  Could someone read this section and recreate your field research on their own?

 -Does the results section clearly show the responses that you received during your field research?  Is survey data easy to understand, either through numerical values or a combination of numerical values and visuals? –  Does the discussion section include your own thorough reflections on what you learned from your field research, how it relates to your research question and your topic as a whole, and how you might use this information for your final paper in the course? –  Is your document clearly organized and easy to read?

 Are all sections clearly labeled?  -Does the writing show evidence of thorough proofreading for spelling, grammar, and punctuation?

Questions?