Phase Seven - Reflection

Congratulations! You made it! As soon as you answer these questions that is:

1. Of the eight sources you've reviewed for this project, which three will you include in your Formal Analytical Report (FAR)? Why?
2. How has your knowledge of the topic changed since February?
3. What analytical question will guide you as you write your FAR? (Refer to your notes from class on Monday, April 1st)
4. Has this approach (guided research over the course of two months) worked well for you? Explain your thoughts.
5. If you could change anything about how you approached or completed this blog project, what would it be? Why?

Reflection is integral to the writing and learning process, and I look forward to reading your reflective posts on this exercise.

Phase Seven is due Friday, April 19th by 11:59 p.m.

Phase Six - Bringing it All Together

For this phase, you will implement all of the research skills you've practiced through the various blog phases. Here's what you need to do:

1. Locate two more sources related to your research topic.
2. Write a summary (Phase Three), CRAAP analysis (Phase Four), and response (Phase 5) for each source. 

Demonstrate through this phase that your summarizing, analyzing, and responding skills have improved.

Complete Phase Six by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, April 12th.

Phase Five - Responding to Sources

While effective research includes finding, summarizing, and assessing the credibility of different sources (what you've done through your blog posts so far), effective research means you enter an ongoing conversation. Research is not a one way street where you simply accumulate as much information as possible and then compile it for your audience.

Effective writers interact with, or respond to, their research. In fact, when you begin writing your Formal Analytical Report (the end goal of all this research), you want your research to act as the supporting -- not primary -- voice in your report. Your thoughts, informed opinions, perspectives, and proposals should lead the way. To ensure that your sources don't hijack your voice in your paper, you should start interacting with your sources now.

How do you interact with your sources? Follow these instructions:

1. Locate a credible source on your topic. You can do an internet or library search but your source must be credible. At the beginning of your post, include an APA References citation for the source.
2. Summarize the source, indentifying the central issues or arguments made by the writer/creator.
3. Identify one or two specific passages or segments that interest you. Respond to these passages by answering at least two of the following questions:
• In what way did the passage or segment surprise you? Why?
• What did the passage or segment teach you that did not already know? How is that information helpful in answering your research questions?
• Did an idea in the passage or segment strike you as illogical or poorly argued? How? Why?
• If you assume that the argument is true, why is it significant?
• How does the information and evidence stand up to your own expereinces and observations?
• What further questions does this information raise that might be worth investigating? Explain why these questions are important to you. 
4. Locate another credible source that either agrees with (confirms) or disagrees with (contradicts) an idea you found in the first source. Explain how you see this source agreeing or disagreeing with your first source and why you think the agreement or disagreement is important or significant.

Conversing with your sources is a vital skill in the research process because ultimately it's what will help you develop your own ideas and keep your voice primary, commanding, and central in your final report. 

As you continue to research, you may find a method of conversing called the double-entry journal helpful. Check out this link, which teaches you how to implement this strategy (even though this example is geared toward literary analysis, you should be able to apply the same principles to your own technical research).

Phase Four - Assessing Credibility

Do you remember the CRAAP Analysis (click the link for the handout) we discussed in class before Spring Break? This blog phase asks you to use that tool to compare the credibility of two different research sources.

Here are some detailed instructions for completing this phase:

1. Find two different types of research sources related to your topic. For example, one source could be an academic journal article found through the library's website and the other one could be a popular web-based article found through an internet search (don't forget about the 119 web sources beyond Google!). Or one source could be a popular magazine article and the other could be a media clip discussing your topic. Do not try to analyze entire books or extremely lengthy articles (say, more than ten pages).
2. Using the CRAAP tool, separately analyze the credibility of the two sources and write a paragraph or two for each source that summarizes your findings. Remember, the CRAAP test involves analyzing five different categories and each category has 3-5 questions that you need to answer. Some of the questions may require you to do additional internet research on the author, publication, etc. To earn full credit for this phase you need to be thorough.
3. End your post with a paragraph comparing the credibility of the two sources (remember the chart we wrote on the board in class?). Based on your analysis, which source seems more credible? Why? Remember, credibility is not an either/or issue (either it is credible or it isn't credible) but rather a continuum where the information may have stronger credibility in some areas and less in others. For this question, you want an overall comparison.
4. Finally, respond to the comment left on your blog by one of your classmates.

If you'd like to read an example CRAAP analysis that I wrote for another class, check it out here.

You must post Phase Four by Friday, March 22nd at 11:59 p.m. to earn credit.

Phase Three - Getting to Know Your Topic

For Phase Three of your blog you'll begin to actually research the issue you identified as your topic in Phase Two. This phase, however, has two components to complete.

1. Using HACC's Library Databases (click this link), begin searching for magazine, newspaper, trade journal, and academic journal articles about your topic. 
• Specifically, find two  articles that approach your issue from different perspectives. You want sources that are not simply informational but actually take a stance, make an argument, or suggest a proposal for some aspect of your issue. For example, if you were researching nuclear power, you might look for one article that supports the continued use of nuclear power and one source that advocates dismantling all nuclear power programs. Or perhaps one source examines the financial implications of dismantling a nuclear power program, while another one focuses exclusively on the environmental issues of such a dismantling.
• Once you've located your two articles, write a one paragraph summary (4-8 sentences) for each source separately. An effective summary uses neutral language to highlight key points made within the source, especially focusing on the bottom line or conclusion that the source draws. Do not use direct quotations from the article for the summaries. Before each summary, include an APA References citation for the source.
• Write another paragraph explaining why you chose these two sources for Phase Three, noting what you find especially interesting about each.
• Write one more paragraph exploring your grasp of your topic so far. How well do you understand the issue? What additional questions have you generated about your topic? What do you hope to learn next about your topic?
2. Using "My Blog List" on the right of this page, find one of your classmate's blogs and leave a comment for their first blog post (Phase Two). Contribute a meaningful response or question to the topic they are researching. Why do you think it's an interesting topic? Have you heard of it before? What questions does their topic raise in your mind? If you have any insightful advice, offer that to them as well. (In the next blog phase you'll be asked to respond back to the comment you receive). Look through the blog list until you find a classmate's blog with no additional comments (other than mine) on Phase Two.

Phase Three is due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 8th. 

Need a Topic?

On my way home from class tonight I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) and heard an interesting story that could be a good blog topic for someone in our class.

The title of the segment is "MoneyWorks: Intermodal Transportation Growing in Midstate," and discusses local, growing interest in using the rail lines to transport cargo typically carried via highways and interstates.

Click this link to hear the story!

Phase Two - Your Topic

Phase Two for your blog project is due Wednesday, February 20th by 11:59 p.m. To submit this blog phase, you need to log into your blogger account and create a new post by clicking on the orange box with a pencil icon (located next to the title of your blog on your Dashboard page).

As you publish each new post, remember that your blog is public. Anyone on the internet can find it and read it. Therefore, keep your writing polished and professional, knowing that you have an audience.

For Phase Two you will introduce your classmates to your topic. I want you to use HACC's library website and databases to search for your topic instead of a typical Google search. Remember, it must be a documented issue, problem, or controversy within your field of study and ultimately narrowed and focused to keep the research and report manageable. This issue, problem, or controversy should be an issue that professionals and tradesmen in your field are currently discussing and attempting to solve.

Once you locate your topic, your post should answer all of the following questions.

1. What is your topic and how did you learn of this issue, problem, or controversy?
2. Why are you interested in this topic?
3. How do you think researching this topic could help you on the job?
4. What do you already know about the topic?
5. What do hope to learn about the topic?
6. Who is a potential audience that could be interested in your following your blog as you research this topic?

Make sure your post is published by the deadline because I will only guarantee feedback for those posts that are submitted on-time. Before completing the next phase of your blog you will want to read the comments I have left on your post because my feedback could affect your next research move.

I'm looking forward to seeing your first post!