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).