Framing the Context:Research Question Development &

Specialized Database Searching

Slideshow adapted from Framing the Context by Nicole Branch

ENGL 180Spring 2015

Assignment Parameters

• Collect ethnographic data at your CBL site

• Locate patterns of activity in your data that interest you

• Conduct research to understand those patterns better and to form a research question about those patterns

• Develop an argument that discusses what your ethnographic and outside research reveal about writing education

• Write a 10-15 page essay that integrates at least 6 scholarly sources

Today’s Objectives

• Practice a model to help develop and revise your research question

• Become familiar with library resources for finding relevant professional trade journals and scholarly sources

• Develop some strategies for searching those sources for your ethnographic research

• Find some quality scholarly sources before the end of class today

Revising Your Research Question

Self-Reflection and Conversation

• What is your research question?

• What do you know about it?

• What more do you want to know about it?

• What would your readers want to know about it?

Activity

• Tell your partner about your research question

• Tell them what issues your research will explore

• Tell them what you want to know more about

• Your partner should ask you questions about what theywant to know more about

• Report out

Next Activity

• Revise your research question in writing

• Incorporate strong, open-ended question words• How

• Why

• In what ways

• Avoid questions with one word answers or that cannot be answered within limits of the assignment.

• Avoid questions that are too vague or cannot be answered with research.

Next Activity

• Look at your research question.

• Circle or underline the most important keywords and synonyms.

FindingProfessional Journal Articles & Scholarly

Sources

Finding Professional & Scholarly Sources

• Explore the characteristics of scholarly sources

• Identify & explore library resources for finding professional article sources

• Identify & explore library resources for finding scholarly books and articles

Poll Question

• True or false: I know how to recognize the characteristics of a scholarly resource.

• Go to the library guide, choose the Poll Questions tab and answer Question 1

Scholarly Sources

• Some Characteristics• Original research / In depth analysis

• Authors are usually scholars and experts in their field

• Extensively cited and documented

• From a University press or scholarly society

• Examples• Journal of Second Language Writing

• Rhetoric Review

• Praxis: A Writing Center Journal

Professional & Trade Journal Sources

• Some Characteristics• About current events / current topics / interviews • Gives you context and background• Not always original or peer reviewed research by the author• Not as many cited sources• From a website or newspaper with a more frequent

publication schedule• Sponsored by a professional association

• Examples• Newspapers: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of

Higher Education, etc• Blogs: HuffPost, Inside Higher Ed• Professional Associations: National Council of Teachers of

English publications, e.g. College English

Library Databases for Newspapers & Trade Publications

Library Databases for Scholarly Sources

Scholarly Source Activity

• Work on your own

• Review list of Databases for Scholarly Research

• Look for a book or scholarly article on your topic that provides analysis or a response to your research question

• Tip: Use OSCAR (Library Catalog) to find books

• Fill out the form on the Poll Questions tab called Question 2

Questions?

Any last questions for today about:

• Research question development

• Which databases to use

• Identifying professional journals & scholarly sources

Don’t forget: Please contact us whenever you need help finding resources :

Jennifer Nutefall

jnutefall@scu.edu

landline: 408.554.6829

Elizabeth McKeigue

emckeigue@scu.edu

landline: 408.554.6927