doing outline, thesis and working & Bibliography for a research paper.

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Lecture Two:

Steps 1& 2

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In the Webster or Vanier library, how is material arranged on the shelves (classified)?

What is meant by the “scattering of books”?

What does the Library’s online catalogue contain?

What is a periodical?

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Select your topic

Develop a preliminary thesis

Conduct a literature search

Create a working bibliography

Evaluate sources

Write final thesis

Prepare paper & bibliography

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  • Step One: Selection of a research topic

Use clustering

Prepare a journal

Perform background reading

Reference material: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Handbooks

Using Research Guides

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  • Step Two: Developing a preliminary thesis

Purpose of the thesis

How to write up a thesis

Determining the key concepts

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Are these topics suitable for a research paper?

Childhood memories

Serial killers

Solar powered windmills

Working mothers

(Hint: How to relate personal ideas to a scholarly problem?)

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In every discipline there is specialized language, acronyms and approaches to questions.

Word clouds: American Enthnologist

http://www.americanethnologist.org/word-clouds-2013-february /

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  • Eskimo

  • Inuit

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A term used to describe a limited examination of an idea, categorized by subject.

  • It must examine a specific issue
  • It must address a knowledgeable reader and carry that reader to another level of knowledge
  • It must have a serious purpose

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A topic should have a built-in issue so that the researcher can interpret the issue and cite the opinions of outside sources.

Diabetes (personal health issue)

Can diabetes be controlled or self-regulated by an individual: can diet alone control blood sugar levels? (scholarly topic)

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Think about your prior knowledge of the topic

Combine personal interest with an aspect of academic study

Consider social issues of personal relevance

Match personal interests with scientific subjects

(Lester, 12)

Use clustering - Similar to brainstorming

Cluster ideas (or sub-topics) around the central topic

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  • How can teachers improve the early literacy skills of children?

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Early Literacy

Intervention

Uses of ICT

Role of

preschool

At risk

students

Home

environment

Benefits

Teaching

Curriculum

Societal

Economic

Educational

Teacher

training

Commercial

programs

Research-based

programs

Impact of

illiteracy

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Think about what you don’t know about your topic

Perform background reading

Consult research guides on the Library’s web page

Consult appropriate reference sources

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Keep a journal

Jot down steps taken in preliminary investigations

Look for keywords and concepts

Look for hierarchy of major and minor issues

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It should:

  • Be narrow enough to be developed fully
  • Require research
  • Be a topic that you can consider objectively
  • Be a topic that you are curious about but not thoroughly familiar with.

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  • How would an explanation of this topic serve your reader?
  • How could you analyze an aspect of this topic?
  • How might you employ this topic for arguing an issue?

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Brainstorm to develop a research question based on one of the following:

Fishing on Lake Ontario

Using technology in the classroom

Christmas shopping

Urban beehives

Cree families in Quebec

Goal: Turn one of these general subjects into a research topic

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  • Consulted for specific information
  • Some contain the needed information (e.g. dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbook)…..
  • While others refer the user to where the information can be found (e.g. indices and bibliographies)
  • Two types:

General: broad in scope and not limited to a subject area

Subject: devoted to a specific field such as psychology or education

  • Consult the Introduction to learn how the work is organized.

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  • Every field has their own
  • Useful because they provide:

An overview of a topic, including definition, description, background, and references

A “summary” treatment of the different aspects of a subject - a good source to begin investigating your topic

Instant details (e.g. names of key people)

Shows how a topic breaks down  Provides ideas for an outline

Articles written by experts in the field

Suggested Readings (bibliography)

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  • Every field has their own dictionary
  • Introduces researchers to the terminology used in a specific field
  • Useful as they;

Help to clarify the meaning of field-specific terminology found in your readings

Introduce you to related terms or synonyms that may be used

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  • Compiled by liaison librarians
  • List of reference sources published within a specific field and available at Concordia

Includes call numbers

  • Accessible via library home page

http://library.concordia.ca/

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A statement that expresses the proposition or theory to be proved or maintained by evidence of research

  • It expands your topic into a scholarly proposal
  • It controls your research
  • It controls your paper’s direction and content

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Topic: Technology integration in schools

Question: What is the impact of technology on learning?

Statement: Used effectively, technology can have a positive impact on student learning.

Could this research topic be made more specific?

Propose an alternative thesis!

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Topic: How can teachers improve the early literacy skills of children?

Answer your question:

Early intervention programs will improve the literacy skills of young children (Why do we care?)

Preliminary thesis: Early intervention programs aimed at improving the literacy skills in young children will lead to societal benefits.

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Early intervention programs aimed at improving the literacy skills in young children will lead to societal benefits.

  • literacy: reading
  • young children: elementary students, primary students
  • programs: intervention
  • benefits impact, advantages

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  • Formal outlines

Written prior to writing the paper

Shows how the paper supports the thesis statement

Used as a means to check the paper’s organization and emphasis

Two types: Topic and Sentence

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  • Informal (or Preliminary) outlines

Used for one’s own needs

Usually performed before and during the literature search

Key ideas that develop your thesis

(May be written in the form of list of questions about the topic that reflects what you need to know to explain/support your position)

Should be modified throughout the process

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Thesis: Early intervention programs aimed at improving the literacy skills of young children will lead to societal benefits.

  • How have the Illiteracy rates in Canadian schools increased?
  • Are there studies on literacy programs for beginning readers?
  • What types of programs are available?

Success For All

Reading Recovery

  • What is the impact of improving literacy rates?

Academic achievement

Lower drop out rate

Less dependence on social assistance

Lower unemployment

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Thesis: Canada should increase efforts to slow the destruction of the ozone layer.

  • Present state of the ozone layer
  • Elements that lead to destruction of the ozone
  • Current Canadian laws related to ozone

By Industry

Penalties

  • Examples of stronger legislation in place in other countries

US

Europe

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  • Selection and development of Research Topic

Clustering

Background reading

Journal

  • Preparation of a Preliminary Thesis

Selection of your key concepts

  • Preparation of a Preliminary Outline

Purpose

  • Next week: Step 3 - Conducting the Literature Search

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“I hear and I forget,

I see and I believe,

I do and I understand.”

Source?

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