Introduction to Research "The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery." ~Francis Bacon

Fun Stuff… 0 The indispensable Calvin and Hobbes... - Bill Watterson - Google Books The indispensable Calvin and Hobbes... - Bill Watterson - Google Books 0 So Calvin was writing a REPORT—meaning he was supposed to just regurgitate facts about bats onto his paper, which should have been pretty easy. 0 Your task is a bit more complicated than simple regurgitation of information—you need to question, hypothesize, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information. No simple word vomit allowed.

Research Essay vs. Report 0 Essay comes from the French word essayer, which means “to try” Think of it like a trial in a court of law—not necessarily a clear black and white answer 0 There may be lots of gray area in a research essay… and that is OK!! 0 It is your job to help your audience (the jury) clear up the gray areas.

To continue the courtroom analogy… 0 You are like an attorney 0 Arguing your case (your research topic) 0 Before the jury (your audience) 0 Using witnesses (primary sources) 0 And exhibits (secondary sources) 0 In order to bring about a verdict (your thesis)

Choosing Good Resources 0 Lawyers have a chance to use opening and closing arguments to share a bit of their own voice regarding the case (sort of like your own intro/conclusion and voice throughout can do) 0 However, they must use other resources (witnesses and exhibits) to truly convince the jury of the validity of their case. 0 It is essential that the witnesses (resources) be credible, reliable, and accurate!!

Choosing Good Resources 0 In the same way that a lawyer chooses good witnesses and exhibits, writers must choose good resources that will help their case. 0 However, the other side of the case also gets to call witnesses—you may need to include the other side of your argument AND find ways to refute or address the opposing claims.

Choosing Good Resources 0 What makes a resource good? 0 Researchers (that is all of you now!) must evaluate the SOURCE of the information as well as the ACCURACY of the information

Choosing Good Resources 0 Evaluating a Source 0 Ask questions such as: 0 Who sponsors, promotes, publishes, or provides this information? 0 Does this organization have any motive to present one- sided or inaccurate information? 0 What evidence do I have that this is a reputable source? 0 What is the professional affiliation or reputation of this source? 0 What qualifications and requirements had to be met for this resource to provide this information?

Choosing Good Resources 0 Evaluating Information Accuracy 0 Ask questions such as: 0 Is there a conflict of interest or a potential for bias? 0 How current is the information? 0 Does the information align with what is already known to be true about this topic? 0 Does the information contain any obvious errors? 0 Can I find the same information in at least three places?

Choosing Good Resources 0 Best Places to Get Resources? 0 School or Public Library 0 Sites like EBSCOHost or PROQuest 0 Any of the sites accessed through the NW AEA Online ( 0 Other places to obtain resources (use more care with these types of resources) 0 Newspapers, magazines, online, personal research, interviews, and many more!!

Kathy Schrock—an expert on website evaluation 0 (REQUIRED) pdf/weval.pdf (OPTIONAL) pdf/weval.pdf 0 chaff.html (OPTIONAL) chaff.html

More info on evaluating sites… 0 From: Olin Library Reference Research & Learning Services Cornell University Library Ithaca, NY, USA html (REQUIRED) 0.html

What is Plagiarism? Please take this 10-question “quiz” online and record the number of correct vs. incorrect answers as you go. The site will not track your score for you so you need to keep tabs yourself. It allows you to continue guessing until you get it right, but I want to know how many you answer correctly on the first try!! html