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.