Lessons for Week Four: Beginning Research
MONDAY: 10-23-06 (Meet in Computer Lab: Miramar-Phelps 1526)
· Reading: Online reading on creating interview and survey questions. Located at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/01/
· Writing: FIRST DRAFT OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE TODAY.
· Class Activities: In-class writing, peer review of research proposal, more preliminary research, and designing interviews and surveys.
I Go Over CATs (10 min)
II Thinking about the Web (20 min)
A. Show them where the reliability checklists are, on homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/pro/courses/WebEvalNew.pdf#search=%22website%20and%20evaluation%20and%20checklist%22
B. Ask them, in groups of three, to check out a piece that they are unsure of that they are thinking of using for research. Divide up the questions and answer it. Or, use the URL below:
a. http://www.ehow.com/how_4959_hire-real-estate.html
C. Go over what they need to think about in terms of evaluation:
a. Sponsor.
b. Root URL.
c. Date.
d. Degree of reasonableness—does it tie in with other pieces.
III Preliminary Questions (20 min)
A. What are some questions that you could ask in an interview or on a survey that would help you with your research?
B. Have folks work for five minutes, then create a master list.
C. Make sure that you then rewrite a question so that it is not yes/no, and then ask it to me, your floating specialist.
D. Go over your responses.
E. Talk about approaching authorities.
a. Politeness an essential.
b. As is professionalism. You are exploring a topic, not writing a research paper.
Break: 10 min
IV Survey/Interview Design (25 min)
A. Group up by doing survey or interview. Have them complete your survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=960732487933.
B. Look at section on “Creating Good Interview and Survey Questions”, at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/06/.
C. Work on a set of ten survey questions or interview questions.
D. Be ready to talk about and go over your questions.
E. Show them how to use survey monkey: http://www.surveymonkey.com.
F. Show them the directions—for survey and interview.
V More Research: JSTOR, EBSCOhost, and finding something Else (20 min)
A. Show them JSTOR and EBSOhost.
B. Get them to check out other stuff.
C. Have them research.
D. Report back.
VI Prep for Wednesday (5 min)
A. Questions for Library—what do you know? What do you need to know?
B. What is a "Researchable Research Question?": http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/0/f87fd7182f0ff21c852569c2005a47b7
WEDNESDAY: 10-25-06 (Library)
· Reading: Your research reading.
· Writing: FIND AN INTEREVIEW SUBJECT OR CREATE SURVEY. DRAFT OF QUESTIONS OR SURVEY DUE ON MONDAY 10-30-06.
· Class Activities: Library orientation. Library assignment. Note-taking. Debreifing.
I Who to Interview and How to Find Them (20 min)
A. Have them read the “Searching the Internet” section of http://lib.newpaltz.edu/databases/handouts/find_an_expert.html.
B. See who they can find.
C. Get them to report back.
D. Brainstorming—in chat: who would—professionally—use interviewing to conduct research, and what are the strengths and limitations of such research?
II Survey Design (45 min)
A. What Makes a Good Survey? (5-7 min freewrite)
B. Create master list from that.
C. Supplement with List from their reading: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/06/
D. Design Work:
a. Go to the Short Survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=960732487933
b. Do the survey.
c. Watch how Chris gathers and uses the data.
d. In a group of three, cluster around a computer and come up with a short survey (3-5 questions) that looks at one of the following topics:
i. How Halloween is celebrated at UCSB.
ii. People’s taste in campus eateries.
iii. People’s experience with researching at UCSB.
e. As you design your survey—of three to five questions—keep in mind the advice at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/06/. Also, Use the “Using Survey Monkey” handout on our website to help you design your practice survey.
f. When you are done, take your survey. Is there anything you need to redesign?
g. After that, get another group to take your survey, and—from the small sample you have—see if you can do the following:
i. Choose your best question and why it is your best.
ii. What is one tentative idea you can draw from this survey you created?
iii. Who exactly might use surveys to conduct research, and why would they use them?
III Break—10 min
IV More Research (25 min)
A. Write down your research question.
B. Go to library databases: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/eresources/databases/data-frames.html
C. Use a key word from your research question to find other terms in WorldCat. Use the “WorldCat” direction on our website.
D. After you’ve found further search terms, use these new search terms and see what you find.
E. You must email, download, or print two sources that you find.
F. Be prepared to talk about what you find.
V Research Report (5 min)
A. What is your current topic, and what is the most interesting thing that you’ve found out about your topic so far?
B. Go around and then go over work for Monday.
Week Five: The Library and Drafting
MONDAY: 10-30-06 (Meet in Computer Lab: Miramar-Phelps 1526)
· Reading: Your research reading.
· Writing: Questions for interview or survey due today.
· Class Activities: In-class writing, peer review of survey or interview questions, work on research project, and note-taking work.
WEDNESDAY: 11-1-06 (Meet in Computer Lab: Miramar-Phelps 1526)
· Reading: Your research reading.
· Writing: Work on survey or interview write up—FIRST DRAFT DUE ON MONDAY 11-6-06.
· Class Activities: In-class writing, research questions and concerns, research time, and writing exercises designed to get you writing.