6 pages

LIN200  Final  Paper:   Topic  Development  

Workshop    

LIN200 Fall 2015

Final  Paper  Scaffolding •  Topic Development Workshops (2%) •  Research Plan & Annotated Bibliography (5%) •  Final Paper (15%) You must hand in the Research Plan/Annotated Bibliography in order to have your Final Paper graded.

LIN200  Final  Paper   Timeline

•  Topic Development Workshops WEEK OF OCT 26 •  Research Plan & Annotated Bibliography NOV 5 •  Final Paper (15%) DEC 3

•  You must hand in all of the (graded) components with the appropriate rubrics with TAs’ comments at the end along with your Final Paper.

What  should  my  Research   Plan  look  like?

•  A short (200-word) paragraph where you describe: o Your research question o Your position on the topic o How the sources listed in your annotated

bibliography will help you answer your research question.

•  (Optional): A second paragraph outlining a tentative answer to your research question.

What  should  my  Annotated   Bibliography  look  like?

•  At least three sources, in proper LSA or APA citation format.

•  For each source, an annotation (max 80 words) (a) summarizing the resource and

(b) explaining why the source is relevant to answering your research question. For each source, indicate the type (journal article, book chapter, etc.) and whether it is print or online.

A  Helpful  Document •  Sample Research Plan and Annotated Bibliography •  Posted on Blackboard •  Helpful Features:

o  Models how to write both the research plan and annotated bibliography (on a topic not assigned in class).

o  Tips for things to do or avoid.

For  Full  Document,  plus  more  Tips  for  writing  your  Research  Plan   and  Annotated  Bibliography,  see  the  full  document  on  Blackboard.

Questions?

Refining  your  Research   Question

•  What is a research topic? •  What is a research question? •  How do they differ?

•  A research topic is a broad issue, question, or area of study. You have been given three topics to choose from for the research papers.

•  A research question is the more specific issue or question, within that broad topic, that you will focus your paper on. Asking a research question and writing a research plan involves taking a stance towards the topic, and focusing on a particular sub- issue within the topic that you define.

Common  Pitfalls •  Research Question is:

o Too broad/ambitious to cover in 4 pages. o Just a repetition of the given topic. o Only tangentially related to the given

topic. o Not clearly related to course content. o Common knowledge/too basic; does not

require additional references to answer.

Models/Examples •  Topic 1: Should non-standard varieties of English be

used in education?

•  Research Question: I will research African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and discuss the debate on whether native speakers of this non-standard variety should be taught in this language in schools. I will review the advantages and disadvantages.

•  What is wrong with this research question? How could it be improved?

Models/Examples •  Topic 2: Is bilingual acquisition beneficial?

•  Research Question: I will focus on bilingual language acquisition in Chinese and English bilingual children, and ask, based on the literature does it have positive or negative effects compared to monolingual Chinese learners or monolingual English learners?

•  What is the problem with this Research Question? How could it be improved?

Models/Examples •  Topic 2: Is bilingual acquisition beneficial?

•  Research Question: I will research bilingual learning in the classroom and discuss the benefits of using specific critical reading and writing techniques in a bilingual environment. In particular I will argue that critical reading activities can enhance the bilingual learner’s performance in the classroom.

•  What is wrong with this research question? How could it be improved?

Models/Examples •  Topic 3: Is language innate or just part of general

cognition?

•  Research Question: I will discuss how there are some general cognitive mechanisms that contribute to language acquisition.

•  What is wrong with this Research Question? How could it be improved?

Activity  1:  20  min •  Groups of 3 students who wrote research question

on the same topic. •  Interviewer, Interviewee, Recorder

•  Switch Roles after 6 minutes •  Interviewee presents their Research question. •  Interviewer asks them questions (see question

prompt) •  Recorder records their answers on the worksheet. •  At the end, each student should get the worksheet

with their own responses on it.

Activity  2:  5  min •  On the back of the worksheet, write your original

research question at the top of the page. •  Keeping this as the broad topic you’re interested in,

and keeping in mind the feedback you got in the last activity, revise your statement into something more specific and focused, that avoids the common pitfalls we talked about.

•  Do this again, 2-3 times so that you have multiple different new research questions that you can think about as potential directions for your research plan/ paper.

Ticket  out  the  door •  Please complete the ticket out the door

before you leave and hand it to the TA! •  If you don’t fill this out, you will not receive

the 2% participation credit for attending the workshop!