research project
writing and research
engl 298 section 3 ericsson
spring 2007
Putting together a great research
project isn't a magic trick!Step 1: Develop a Research Question (Due April 5)
A Research Question is a statement that identifies the argumentative/persuasive focus of your project.To develop a strong research question from your ideas, you should ask yourself these things:
* What are the important questions that I've encountered in my reading?
* What areas need further exploration?
* What part of the research you've already done interests you the most?
* Does the question you're considering have multiple perspectives? (A question that can be considered from many perspectives is typically the most interesting and fruitful.)A strong research question should pass the “so what” test. Think about the potential impact of the research project you are proposing. What is the benefit of answering your research question? Who will it help (and how)? If you cannot make a definitive statement about the purpose of your research, it is unlikely to result in a viable project.
A research focus should be narrow, not broad-based. For example, “What can be done to prevent air pollution?” is too large a question to answer. It would be better to begin with a more focused question such as“What is the relationship between the Potlatch Pulp and Papermill Plant near Lewiston, Idaho and the air quality of the Lewiston/Clarkson Valley and how does that relationship and resuling air quality effect the children living in the L/C Valley?" In fact, this might be too broad a question given the length of this project's final draft--8-12 pages.
Step 2: Research Status Check (Due April 5)
Based on the question you've developed, decide how much more research and reading you'll need to do before beginning this project.
Do you need more history/background?
Current facts and opinions?
Information from people involved?
Information from scholarly, peer-reviewed resources?
How much more do you need before you can write a Discovery Draft?Step 3: Discovery Draft (Due April 12)
The Discovery Draft (4-6 pages) is your opportunity to discover what you want to say and how you want to say it. In this draft you write the whole thing--informally. That means you start with the introduction, describe how the topic is relevant to you and your readers, describe the problem you have chosen to research and its importance, and state your research question. From this introduction, you then freewrite the story of your research process and your thoughts along the way. What have you learned? What possible solutions have you found for your problem? Summarize what you have learned from your sources. Instead of formally citing sources, just note them. Explain whether you have changed changed your mind during this research--a little change or a big one? What is your claim now? What is your purpose? Has that changed? Which solution appears to the the best? How can your readers help you implement this solution or how can they apply what you've learned in their own lives? This draft will be a good gauge of how much more research you need to do or if you have enough.Step 4: The Research Project (Due April 24)
This is the final, formal draft (8-12 pages). Trying to get to this point without going through the steps outlined above make doing a research project much more difficult. Don't short-change yourself and skip through the steps carelessly. The more time/effort you put into the steps, the better the final project will be. More details as we get closer.
