English unit II assignment

EH 1020, English Composition II 1

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Research as a Basis for the

Research Paper

Course Learning Outcomes Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Employ three different sources from the various resources available on the CSU Online Library within a research proposal.

2. Create a research proposal and prepare the framework for a final research paper.

Unit Lesson Introduction to Unit II In Unit I, we established that the argumentative writing done for this course will be grounded in the research that you gather and conduct. In other words, no claims can be made out of a place of pure opinion and speculation. Only with substantial, supportive research can you make assertions that will become your argument. In this unit, you will learn about gathering and conducting research in three places: in the online environment, in the library, and in the field. Part 1: Beginning with Research: Online Sources Chapter 16, Sections 16a-16k, of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers While there is a plethora of information on the internet, not all of it is useful for a research paper, and navigating this mass of information can be a challenging task, even if you have experience writing research papers. This chapter provides insight into search engines and how to use them for your research. Mark the checklist box on pages 350-351, which assists with evaluating online sources. Throughout the chapter, there are websites listed in blue that you may use to help you find valid research materials. In addition to search engines, this chapter also supplies information on online journals, magazines, newspapers, and media sources, all of which can be invaluable information. For some research projects, visual elements may be appropriate, and Chapter 16f in Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers provides information on these sources. In addition, the chapter mentions the use of e-books (more on these below in Part 2). Moreover, there is information about internet bibliographies and archives. Remember, not all information that comes from the internet is considered reliable information; therefore, it is not permissible as source material for a research paper. The safest place to gather information is from a library. Part 2: Beginning with Research: Library Sources Chapter 17, Sections 17a-17c, of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers View the following presentations (courtesy of the CSU Online Library).

 “Introduction to the Online Library”

 “Locating Articles in an Online Research Database”

Reading Assignment The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises Chapter 17: Variety and Details, Sections 17a-17c Chapter 34: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers, Sections 34a-34b Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers Chapter 16: Gathering Sources Online, Sections 16a-16k Chapter 17: Gathering Sources in the Library, Sections 17a-17c Chapter 18: Conducting Field Research, Sections 18a-18e Chapter 14: Finding a Topic, Section 14g View the following presentations (courtesy of the CSU Online Library). “The CSU Online Library” “Locating Articles in an Online Research Database”

EH 1020, English Composition II 2

As an EH 1020 student, you will want to become intimately familiar with the CSU Online Library. Certainly, by learning to navigate the CSU Online Library you will gain an extremely useful skill set that you can use throughout your academic career. The CSU Online Library hosts the following features in addition to its materials and databases:

CSU’s statement on Wikipedia APA style information General reference links Link for Government Printing Office (GPO) Learning tools for specific academic subjects

In Unit III, you will be asked to construct an Annotated Bibliography of five sources that you think you might want to use in your final research paper. The details of the Annotated Bibliography are given in the syllabus, but for now you should heed the advice in the reading assignments for this unit (Section 17b) on developing a working bibliography. Keep in mind, however, that you will always be using APA for the work that you do for this course and other CSU courses, so be sure not to let the MLA used in the examples in the readings confuse you. Refer back to the CSU APA Guide (6th edition) for APA style and convention. Further, the suggested reading for this unit includes some brush up on in-text citation. In addition to the information within the chapter about using the library, there are two presentations from the CSU Online Library that provide specific information for navigating our online library services.

Part 3: Beginning with Research: Field Research Chapter 18, Sections 18a-18e, of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers While much of your research will come from the CSU Online Library, sometimes you can supplement your research by doing on-the-ground field research. This field research can greatly enhance your research paper because you are truly adding your own research to your argument. This chapter gives you direction on how you can conduct this kind of research. For students who may have limited access to the CSU Online Library, or for those who prefer interview and interaction, field research is a great way to become involved in the project. However, while this kind of research is always beneficial to your project, you will want to get permission from your instructor before beginning any field research project. Part 4: Articulating Your Project: Writing the Research Proposal Chapter 14, Section 14g, of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers In the world of academics, like in the world of business, proposals are a kind of first step in presenting your work to others. You have formulated a topic and conducted some preliminary research on the topic. Now, you are ready to propose your project. The research proposal that you will be asked to write for this unit is based on the two models that you see in the reading assignment for Part 4. Read through the example and the assignment instructions carefully, as they will provide the outline for your research proposal.

Supplemental Reading Appendix B: Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers The CSU Citation Guide Referencing: Citations in Text, pp. 5-7 Reference List, pp. 7-12

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See information below.

Key Terms 1. Abstract 2. Dangling modifier 3. Educational search

engines 4. Field research 5. Indexes 6. Limiting modifiers 7. Meta-search engines 8. Misplaced modifier 9. Online journals

10. Online magazines 11. Robot-driven search

engines 12. Specialized search

engines

EH 1020, English Composition II 3

Part 5: Grammar Lesson: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers and Variety and Details Chapters 17, Sections 17a-17c, and 34, Sections 34a-34b, of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises

 Exercise 17.1: Revising: Variety, p. 161

 Exercise 34.1: Revising: Misplaced modifiers, p. 277

 Exercise 34.2: Revising: Misplaced modifiers, p. 277

 Exercise 34.3: Revising: Placement of adverbs and adjectives, p. 277

 Exercise 34.4: Revising: Dangling modifiers, p. 279

 Exercise 34.5: Revising: Misplaced and dangling modifiers, p. 279 Understanding Research

Click here to access the MyCourseTools tutorial. This online tutorial discusses research and how to narrow your focus to a specific topic for a research paper. This information will be helpful as you prepare for writing your own research paper for this course. MyCourseTools http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pls/pls_mycoursetools/fufillment/mct_125668 9785_csu/eng_comp_2/lesson_01/default.htm Tell a Story After you complete your unit reading assignments and exercises, find a controversial photograph. Write a minimum 300-word essay about the photograph. Your essay can be a fictional account for which the photograph can become an illustration. Here are some examples of questions that you might try to answer as you write:

 What does the picture “say” to you? What story does it tell?

 What do you feel when you look at the picture? Why?

 Does the picture inspire positive or negative emotions?

 Can you deduce anything of the photograph’s history or background to determine the reason the photo was taken?

After you finish your essay, go back and check what you wrote. Make sure that all subject-verb agreements are correct, and that everything is spelled correctly. Are all hyphens and plurals used correctly? Did you use “ei” and “ie” correctly? How about final “y” and final “e”? If you find any errors, revise as necessary. This activity is intended to give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned and practice your writing skills. It is a nongraded activity, so you do not have to submit it.