Read and take notes on
- Unit 3 Assignments Sheet
- Introduction to Research: Selecting a Topic Video
- Basic Steps in the Research Process Handout
- Research Info (linked in D2L
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- Major Assignment 3Introduction: Throughout the unit, you will focus on how to research via a standard search engine, how to use the MTC databases to find peer-reviewed resources, how to determine source reliability and author credibility, how to collect and organize research, how to compile resources on a topic, and how to summarize and paraphrase on the collegiate level. This unit will culminate in an annotated bibliography.Prompt: Select and explore a controversial topic. (Note: You may NOT use abortion, the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccine mandates, or any topic “off limits” in Unit 2.) Create an annotated bibliography for the topic you explored. Your annotated bibliography must follow the MLA style and should include your topic, a brief introduction, a working thesis that you would explore if you were writing an actual paper based on the research.
Required Sources
The reputable sources used must include at least six sources in total, specifically
- Two videos
- Two internet articles (webpages or blogs),
- Two journal articles (from MTC databases only, not Google Scholar; be sure to find actual journal articles, not reviews must be 3 pages or longer)
- One of the best databases for these topics is Academic Search Premier
Requirements for Annotations
- The first sentence(s) should identify the author(s) and major contributors, the type of source (i.e. journal article, book, review, etc.), and the main idea(s)/purpose of the text.
- Identify the intended audience(s)
- Summarize the main points/findings
- Identify helpful features and/or findings
- Explain how this would relate to your research
- Explain how you know this is credible
- Limit annotations to 10 sentences
- Refer to the author(s) by full name(s) or surname(s) only, NEVER first names
Specific requirements/suggestions for the annotations and additional information for this assignment can be found on the Research and Annotated Bib Tips and Examples sheet in D2L Content.
Elements of Major Assignment 3
- Topic: Collect reliable research on a controversial topic
- Process: Using GAs 5 and 6, assigned readings, class discussions and activities, draft your critique. You will have the opportunity to receive feedback for revision from your peers as well as me. Using the feedback from your audience, revise the rough draft into the final draft, focusing specifically on content, clarity, organization, and source integration and citation.
- Audience: For this assignment, your audience is your instructor; however, you also have an imagined audience. Imagine that you will present your findings to a panel of other college students.
- Purpose: The purpose of this piece is to explore source reliability on a specific topic.
- Format: The format for the final draft should be a traditional MLA annotated bibliography.
- Length: The annotated bibliography must include the six sources specified above. Final length will be determined by Works Cited entries and annotations, but most assignments will reach a minimum of three pages when formatted appropriately.
- Works Cited: This assignment is to create a Works Cited page that contains annotations. It is important to avoid plagiarism, even in the annotations.
- Special Notes: Be careful to avoid working with other students on annotations. While you might suggest a resource if you happen to be researching the same topic, you should not share your own annotations, though you can remind them of the requirements.
- Submission: Unless otherwise specified, all assignments should be typed in the MLA formatted and. Some assignments must be printed and submitted. Unless otherwise directed, all work should be submitted to D2L as a Word Document (.doc or .docx) or as a PDF on the due date posted in each dropbox and on the course calendar (see Syllabus). Be sure to include a heading, header, and title. Use a 12-point font of Georgia or Times New Roman.
Groundwork Assignments
Groundwork Assignment 5
- Select ONE research topic (see MA 3 assignment sheet), and use that same topic for ALL of the sources gathered in this unit. You may choose to change topics before submitting work.
- Find and select two videos and two internet articles related to your topic. (Use Google and YouTube and carefully evaluate the sources for reliability.)
- Some of the most credible video sources are TedTalks.
- Some of the most credible internet sources will be from .gov or .edu websites. Wikipedia is NEVER an okay resource to use, and .org sources must be evaluated carefully. Articles from well-known news sources such as NPR and CNN are also acceptable.
- Once you have found credible sources, read/review these materials, and then create MLA citations for each. In Unit 4, you will be asked to write a research paper using some of these materials, so it will help to take good notes on these sources now so that you will not have to reread them all later. These notes will not be submitted.
- Write a summary for each of these sources that appears beneath its MLA citation.
Groundwork Assignment 6
- Using the MTC library databases, find at least two journal articles that explore some aspect of the same research topic you used for GA 5.
- To use the MTC library databases, you will need to follow these steps.
- Select the following link MTC Library Databases
- Select Academic Search Premier. (You may need to scroll down.)
- Once you get into the database, use search terms related to your topic. Sometimes, you might need to use different search terms. For example, if you’re researching “Civil Rights Movement,” you might use terms like “civil rights in the U.S.,” “what led to the civil rights movement,” “who played large roles in civil rights movement,” etc. If you search something the first time but don’t get any returns, don’t give up. You can also chat with a librarian for help. (This goes to a real, live librarian at MTC, not a bot.)
- Be sure the article you select is a journal article and that it has a minimum of 3 full-text pages.
- You may use other databases linked from the MTC page above, not just Academic Search Premier. Different databases link to different articles.
- Lost or struggling? You can go to the library’s main website (MTC Library Main Page) and click “Get Help” to see several helpful tutorials or to reach out to one of our librarians.
- Read/review and take notes on these sources. (These are for you to use later when you write a research paper in Unit 4 and do not need to be submitted.)
- Then, create MLA citations for the two sources, and write a brief summary of each source. The summary should appear directly beneath the citation for the source.
- Combine these with the sources from GA 5 (including citations and summaries) and submit the entire document, which should include a total of 6 citations and summaries.
Submission Guidelines:Unless otherwise directed, all work for Unit 3 should be submitted as a Word Document (.doc or .docx) or as a PDF. Use the standard MLA format with a heading, header, and title. Use a 12-point font of Georgia or Times New Roman.done7 hours agovideo done7 hours ago
The following steps outline a simple and effective strategy for writing a research paper. Depending on your familiarity with the topic and the challenges you encounter along the way, you may need to rearrange these steps.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC
Selecting a topic can be the most challenging part of a research assignment. Since this is the very first step in writing a paper, it is vital that it be done correctly. Here are some tips for selecting a topic:
- Select a topic within the parameters set by the assignment. Many times your instructor will give you clear guidelines as to what you can and cannot write about. Failure to work within these guidelines may result in your proposed paper being deemed unacceptable by your instructor.
- Select a topic of personal interest to you and learn more about it. The research for and writing of a paper will be more enjoyable if you are writing about something that you find interesting.
- Select a topic for which you can find a manageable amount of information. Do a preliminary search of information sources to determine whether existing sources will meet your needs. If you find too much information, you may need to narrow your topic; if you find too little, you may need to broaden your topic.
- Be original. Your instructor reads hundreds of research papers every year, and many of them are on the same topics (topics in the news at the time, controversial issues, subjects for which there is ample and easily accessed information). Stand out from your classmates by selecting an interesting and off-the-beaten-path topic.
- Still can’t come up with a topic to write about? See your instructor for advice.
Once you have identified your topic, it may help to state it as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the epidemic of obesity in the American population, you might pose the question “What are the causes of obesity in America ?” By posing your subject as a question you can more easily identify the main concepts or keywords to be used in your research.
STEP 2 : DO A PRELIMINARY SEARCH FOR INFORMATION
Before beginning your research in earnest, do a preliminary search to determine whether there is enough information out there for your needs and to set the context of your research. Look up your keywords in the appropriate titles in the library’s Reference collection (such as encyclopedias and dictionaries) and in other sources such as our catalog of books, periodical databases, and Internet search engines. Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings. You may find it necessary to adjust the focus of your topic in light of the resources available to you.
STEP 3: LOCATE MATERIALS
With the direction of your research now clear to you, you can begin locating material on your topic. There are a number of places you can look for information:If you are looking for books, do a subject search in the Alephcatalog. A Keyword search can be performed if the subject search doesn’t yield enough information. Print or write down the citation information (author, title,etc.) and the location (call number and collection) of the item(s). Note the circulation status. When you locate the book on the shelf, look at the books located nearby; similar items are always shelved in the same area. The Aleph catalog also indexes the library’s audio-visual holdings.Use the library’s electronic periodical databases to find magazine and newspaper articles. Choose the databases and formats best suited to your particular topic; ask at the librarian at the Reference Desk if you need help figuring out which database best meets your needs. Many of the articles in the databases are available in full-text format.Use search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) and subject directories to locate materials on the Internet. Check the Internet Resources section of the NHCC Library web site for helpful subject links.
STEP 4: EVALUATE YOUR SOURCES
See the CARS Checklist for Information Quality for tips on evaluating the authority and quality of the information you have located. Your instructor expects that you will provide credible, truthful, and reliable information and you have every right to expect that the sources you use are providing the same. This step is especially important when using Internet resources, many of which are regarded as less than reliable.
STEP 5: MAKE NOTES
Consult the resources you have chosen and note the information that will be useful in your paper. Be sure to document all the sources you consult, even if you there is a chance you may not use that particular source. The author, title, publisher, URL, and other information will be needed later when creating a bibliography.
STEP 6: WRITE YOUR PAPER
Begin by organizing the information you have collected. The next step is the rough draft, wherein you get your ideas on paper in an unfinished fashion. This step will help you organize your ideas and determine the form your final paper will take. After this, you will revise the draft as many times as you think necessary to create a final product to turn in to your instructor.
STEP 7: CITE YOUR SOURCES PROPERLY
Give credit where credit is due; cite your sources.Citing or documenting the sources used in your research serves two purposes: it gives proper credit to the authors of the materials used, and it allows those who are reading your work to duplicate your research and locate the sources that you have listed as references. The MLA and the APA Styles are two popular citation formats.Failure to cite your sources properly is plagiarism. Plagiarism is avoidable!
STEP 8: PROOFREAD
The final step in the process is to proofread the paper you have created. Read through the text and check for any errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure the sources you used are cited properly. Make sure the message that you want to get across to the reader has been thoroughly stated.Additional research tips:
- Work from the general to the specific — find background information first, then use more specific sources.
- Don’t forget print sources — many times print materials are more easily accessed and every bit as helpful as online resources.
- The library has books on the topic of writing research papers at call number area LB 2369.
- If you have questions about the assignment, ask your instructor.
- If you have any questions about finding information in the library, ask the librarian.
FIND BOOKS
done7 hours agoResearch Tips for English 101
General Info
- Researching works better on a computer rather than a phone. Try to plan ahead to be in front of the computer for a couple of hours when you begin your searches.
- It’s a good idea to begin saving documents to your computer or flash drive so that you can get to them easily. Google Docs is also a good place to collect materials.
- You should review and take notes on all sources. Always collect the important info for MLA citations. You can review BBG pp. 401-413 for info on creating MLA citations. If you use a citation generator, you are still responsible for having all the correct information.
Collecting Internet Articles and Videos
- When collecting resources that are not academic journals, you should use Google or search YouTube (for videos).
- The URL you include in your MLA citation should not be the Google search link but the true URL for that resource.
- You are responsible for evaluating the reliability of the material. (See Ch. 12 of BBG)
- Wikipedia will NOT be accepted as a source.
- The following sources are generally considered to be reliable.
- TedTalks (or TedEx)
- .edu or .gov websites (You may have previously been told that .org websites were automatically considered reliable. This is no longer true. If you choose to use something from a .org, you will need to carefully evaluate the credibility of the organization.)
- Well-known news websites such as NPR, BBC, or CNN, etc. (Try to stay away from opinions/editorials.)
Using Databases for Journal Articles
- You must use the Midlands Tech Library resources found at MTC Library Databases
- You may use any of the databases linked, but Academic Search Premier is a good place to start.
- If you get stuck/lost and need help, go to MTC Library Help Page and review the different tutorials, or reach out to one of our librarians.
Library Database Access Off Campus
- When accessing the databases off campus, you will be prompted for a username and password.
- The username is your regular MyMTC username (usually first name, middle initial, and last name)
- The password is your six digit date of birth. (e.g. if born on April 20, 2004, your password would be 042004 )
Important Info to Collect
- When researching, scan or read the abstract or summary of the article first.
- If you think the source will be useful, before you begin reading the article itself or take the first note, collect the citation information FIRST, even if you still aren’t sure you will use the resource. This will save you trouble in the long run!
- Information for MLA citations (as much as you can find)
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- Author(s)
- Title
- Title of Container (website, YouTube channel, or journal name)
- Issue info (vol. & no.)
- Other publisher or location info provided
- Date of publication or last date updated
- Database
- URL
- Date of access
Other Research Tips
- When taking notes on separate paper, make sure your notes are clearly labeled with (at the very least) the source title and author.
- If you aren’t sure the source will be helpful, read the first page and then the first and last sentence of the following paragraphs.
- If using notecards for research, organization is the key
Creating Annotations (for the Bibliography, not the normal reading annotations)
- The annotation paragraph with ALL the following info appears beneath each corresponding Works Cited citation entry. You must go in the order listed below. The average annotation paragraph should be 8-12 sentences in length. (10 or fewer sentences is a good rule of thumb for our purposes.)
- The first sentence(s) should identify the author(s) and major contributors, the type of source (i.e. journal article, book, review, etc.), and the main idea(s)/purpose of the text.
- Ex. This journal article by Mary Smith was published in The Journal of Modern Psychology and discusses ____main ideas____.
- Ex. This video published on YouTube by the American Association of Midwives discusses ____main ideas___.
- Identify the intended audience(s)—NEVER everyone
- Students
- Other professionals
- General audience
- Etc.
- Summarize the main points/findings/general content (2-3 sentences in length)
- Be sure to clearly attribute paraphrases and direct quotes to the original author(s) of the source to avoid confusion. It’s helpful to use introductory phrases such as “According to Smith,…” or “On page 115, the article states that…”
- Identify helpful features and/or findings (optional)
- Could also be something interesting
- Explain how this would relate to your research
- Ex. This source provides more information on ___________, so it would (or would not) be relevant…
- If the material is not clearly connected to the assigned topic, explain how it connects
- Explain how you know this is credible
- Don’t just say you found on MTC or .gov or .edu
- Ex. This is credible because the author has been researching and reporting on this topic for more than a decade. (Often with minimal searching on the source itself, you can find info on the author(s).)
- Ex. This is credible because the study was done in a fair way with several researchers.
- Ex. This is credible because the author has several years of experience in this field…
- Publication in a reputable journal also lends credibility
- Reminders
- Refer to the author(s) by full name(s) or surname(s) only, NEVER first names
- Write in present tense
- Only use “I” when discussing interesting components, relevance to research, and credibility. The rest of the annotation should be written in third person in order to appear more objective.
Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Citing within Bibliography Annotations
- Annotations rarely include direct quotes but may have a few paraphrased ideas.
- Since the entry should be directly above the annotation on the Works Cited page, when you paraphrase or quote directly from the source, include the page number in parenthesis after the text.
- Be sure it is clear you are summarizing someone else’s ideas. You might consider beginning your sentences with, “According to the article,…” or “Smith writes,…”
Other Tips
- This assignment is an annotated Works Cited page. You should not have a separate Works Cited page for this assignment.
- Works cited entries (full citations) are alphabetized by the first letter used in each item (i.e., usually, items have an author, and the various entries are listed in order by the last name that occurs earliest in the alphabet to the last).
- Entries and annotations are double-spaced.
- Entries use a hanging indent.
- The entire annotation paragraph is indented half an inch from the left margin (not just the first line like a normal essay paragraph)
- Remove any blue hyperlinks
- Use normal capitalization rules
- Follow title rules
- Titles of short (like articles, essays, poems, short stories, short videos, episodes, etc.) are put in quotation marks—“Example of an Article Title”
- Titles of longer works (like containers, journals, books, databases, websites, etc.) are italicized—Example of a Book Title
Introduction & Working Thesis
- The final draft must include an introduction and working thesis
What Goes in the Introduction
- The introduction should be written in a couple of brief paragraphs.
- These paragraphs should discuss the topic you chose and why
- The process (searching, how easy/challenging it was to find sources, formatting, writing annotations, etc.)
- What you learned
- What you still want to know about the topic.
Working Thesis
- Should be one sentence
- Should make an overall statement about your topic
- Could be a potential thesis explored in the essay you write for the next unit
Example Below
Your NameProfessorClassDateAssignmentTopic:Working Thesis:Introduction:The introduction should be written in a couple of brief paragraphs. These paragraphs should discuss the topic, the process (searching, working with group, how easy/challenging it was to find sources, formatting, writing annotations, etc.), what you learned, and what you still want to know about the topic.Works CitedAuthor(s). “Title of Article.” Journal Title, Volume, Issue, Publication date, pages. Database, URL, Date of access.Annotations begin here and should be no longer than 10 sentences in most cases. Xxxx xx x xxxxxxxx x xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xx. Xxxx x x xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxxxxx x xxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx x xxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx. Xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx. Xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx x xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxx. Xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx.Main Author Last, First name and Contributor One, Contributor Two, and Contributor Three. “Title of Article.” Journal Title, Volume, Issue, Publication date, pages. Database, URL, Date of access.Annotations begin here and should be no longer than 10 sentences in most cases. Xxxx xx x xxxxxxxx x xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xx.
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