English

In Unit 1, you did some preliminary research on your topic and now, in Unit 2, you've narrowed it down to a research question. As we've discussed, however, research questions need to be divided into smaller, manageable questions. For this assignment, you will find two sources that each work to answer questions you have--and that help you move towards an answer for your research question.

Step 0: Your research question will lay the foundation of everything that comes next. As such, please prepare responses to the Writing Your Research Question assignment before beginning work on this Discussion. Please note: While the Writing Your Research Question assignment isn't due until Sunday, September 25th by 11:59pm, you will need to prepare responses ahead of time in order to successfully complete this Discussion.

Step 1: Write your research question at the top of the post. Then below that, write out the questions that you developed previously (this will be the start of your blog). Feel free to include any new questions that have occurred to you since then. Do some research on the library webpage

(Links to an external site.) or on Google or Google Scholar until you find sources that answer your questions a) in a way you can understand and b) that help you understand the large conversation better.

• Remember: you might see your blog posts as polished written texts with your instructor as the audience.You want to persuade your instructor that you are exploring effectively by demonstrating intellectual curiosity, rhetorical reading and an open mind. You will want to show that you are learning something new about your topic with each new blog post, and will ultimately want to show how the process has impacted your understanding of the issue and the focus of your research project. You'll also want to revise your post so that it is well written and easy to follow.

Step 2: Post a link to each source (I’m looking for 2 sources). Then, below each link, include a rhetorical summary with each one of your sources. The Rhetorical Summary for Research Blogs Page provides you with the guiding questions that will help you write a rhetorical summary.

Step 3: Reflect on your next steps. After you’ve answered the questions above for each of those sources, post a summary of what you feel you understand about your topic, what you are confused about, what questions you still have. You should also discuss:

• What questions do you have now that you did not have before? What might you want to research next? (You might consider Guidelines for Coming Up with Good Exploration Questions PDF Actions
 as you try to come up with questions to follow in your next post.)

• What do you understand (overall) about your research question and its potential answers? What aspect of the topic are you most interested in? You will have to start narrowing your research to a smaller sub-topic or question within your general topic. What ideas do you have for this narrowed focus? You might think about the article you've found most interesting or what major questions, problem or possible solution, you've found most interesting so far.

• If you were going to explain this topic to someone, what are the parts you would be less confident explaining?

Step 4: After you have posted, respond to two classmates. I recommend that you respond to the information that they are most interested in researching next and/or what aspect of the problem they are most interested in focusing on. Try to provide helpful feedback that helps them narrow their focus--and generate questions for research for their next blog. Pay particular attention to their research question. If it's not clear how these sources answer that question, help your classmate get back on track. Your response should be at least 200 words long.