As a teacher, I’m always trying to find new ways to format time dedicated to the revision of student papers.
I’ve found writing success and student involvement increased by the following exercise.
The idea is to complete any sequence of three revision activities described in the boxes (or more). If you are a student, this is a great way to make sure your paper is thoroughly revised so that you will receive the best possible grade.
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I was working today with a student who had originally wanted to write about health. She had become interested in health programs taught in high schools, coming up with the following proposal (my feedback in blue):
Feedback: What is your overall question? By “health education” do you mean nutrition education? Will you focus on elementary school, middle school, or high school when you say “young children”? Will you focus on childhood obesity? I like that you’ve just focused on school education and its influence on young children. What if, for example, you find that schools are teaching what they need to teach…where will you go from there? Will you examine complications that come with following the nutrition education received in school (busy society and pre-made food, family habits, school cafeteria offering poor choices, tv, etc?)
This student then ended up changing topics and focusing on Autism, wanting to discover if vaccines were, indeed, linked to the onset of this disorder. After a week of research, she had become overwhelmed by a topic that was legitimately in stasis, not knowing how to make sense of a large body of information with many opposing viewpoints.
She also had become overwhelmed by the research itself, not knowing where to look for information and becoming discouraged that other possible causes of autism were not being discussed. Contrary to what this student thought, however, the information was there but unaccessed. Sometimes, it’s all in the re-search: going back and looking again, expanding search resources, using new key words, and/or refining the original idea or research question.
We brainstormed other possible key words: pervasive developmental disorder, genetics and autism, gluten-free, possible causes of autism, autism spectrum disorders, etc.
We accessed databases offered by the school. If you are lucky enough to have access, SIRS Researcher, Infotrac, and Ebsco are wonderful for their ability to categorize according to source type. After 15 minutes, we were able to find 10 additional scholarly sources, newspaper articles, media files, and magazine articles.
Ahh, the sweet success of re-search.
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If you write long enough, writer’s block will strike. Instead of giving up, try a different strategy.
1. Spend 10-15 minutes reading the writing of someone who inspires you. For me, that can be as simple as going to a quotation website, browsing current events, smirking at the wittiness of satire, or picking up a book by John Irving or C.S. Lewis. Whatever your inspiration, let it occupy your mind. Then, when you have taken that mental break and read the writing of others, you will return to your computer with increased motivation.
2. Change your writing venue. Enjoy a beverage at a local coffeehouse or bookstore. Sit at a picnic table in a nearby park. Find a secluded niche in your local library.
3. Write with a group of like-minded friends with whom you can share your work. Set a specific time for socializing (and food) and a specific time for writing (try the online stopwatch to make sure you are productive). At the end of your time together, you can even exchange computer screens or notebooks to give feedback to each other.
4. Use a recording device to talk through your ideas. For those who are very verbal, but struggle with getting those ideas down on paper, expressing ideas in writing can be invaluable. When done, play it back, while typing it up.
5. Turn off your computer monitor and type without worrying about grammar, correct ideas, complete sentences, etc. Be silly, be awkward, and write whatever enters your mind regarding your topic. Again, set a time limit. When time is up, turn the monitor back on and read through what you’ve written, highlighting the parts which offer possibility for your draft. Cut and paste these parts into a new document and continue writing.
6. This may be obvious, but get organized and gather your resources. Make sure you have access to all of the books, files, notes, etc. that you need and that you have a plan. Sometimes, writer’s block comes from lack of clear planning and feeling overwhelmed with all of the details.
7. Indulge yourself; buy your favorite snack and beverage. Sometimes, page 9 of a research project looks a little less daunting with a box of junior mints at your side.
8. Think positively about your project, review the guidelines, and set achievable goals. Trying to write a 20 page paper in a day may not be realistic, and if you fill your mind with negative thoughts it will show in your writing and cause you to be less productive.
9. Your writer’s block may be caused by lack of information about the project. Have you talked to your professor yet? Believe it or not, most professors will be thrilled to make an appointment to talk through your ideas with you. You will be sure to come away from this conference with renewed focus and several good ideas.
10. Lastly, I would advise you to relax. If you have time, distance yourself from the project for 24 hours. Focus your energies and thoughts elsewhere and come back when you are ready.
If you are looking for more tips, be sure to check out Rachel Gardner’s post: 10 Exercises to Make You a Better Writer.
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Everyone knows that research is a process of trial and error. Finding research terms that work can be the difference between a puddle and an ocean of information. The process described below is simple, and having a plan is worth the two or three minutes.
Let’s say you have a topic: Euthanasia
And a research question: Should euthanasia be legalized for terminally ill patients?
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Steps in this Search Strategy are as Follows:
Tip: Be sure to consult the bibliographies at the end of the scholarly articles and books you find – there is a wealth of information there which can add depth to your research.
After you have become an expert at determining which areas will best meet your research needs, and have experience in working your way through the entire sequence, you will develop a sense for knowing which steps in this sequence might be useful for a particular subject.
In consulting these categories of reference sources, you will, in most cases, accumulate a wealth of information on the subject you are researching. Eventually, you will have to make selections from the mound of information you have found, evaluating the information for its relevance, accuracy, and credibility. To assess the reliability of information, you could consult reviews of the books from which you have gotten the information or you could check the reliability of the newspapers or magazines in which you found the information by researching the reputation and ideology they are known for. In the end, you should have a variety of sources – A good rule of thumb is to have at least as many sources as the number of pages in your research paper.
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Today, I’m set to provide you with three resources to further help you move toward that goal of finding a college-worthy research question. Hopefully there will be something there to spark an idea…or maybe even two.
Persuasive Research Questions: A list of topics to consider for research of a two-sided persuasive issue.
If you’re looking for a good place to browse current issues and viewpoints, visit Opposing Views. This interactive site displays user surveys and hot-button topic categories such as politics, society, health, money, and religion.
One of the better topical lists that I have found is featured on the Santa Monica Library resource page. It’s worth your click, but don’t forget the need to narrow your topic and motivate it with a research question as discussed in my previous posts.
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Stasis Theory: A set of questions that, when asked systematically, can help one to determine where disagreement between opposing sides begins. This trick can be used to discover a research question, or to discover a debatable topic.
An issue is said to be “in stasis” if opposing sides have agreed to disagree. By finding the point at which your issue is in stasis, you are able to find the point at whih your issue becomes debatable, researchable, and current.
Four Levels of Questions: You should start at the first level, moving toward the fourth level, stopping when there is not a clear “yes” or “no” answer to the question. All questions after your found point of disagreement are open for debate.
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“The journey of a thousand miles begins in a single step,” said Confucius. Indeed, starting any research project may be a daunting task and may determine the success of the journey.
The difference between you staring down an empty screen while piling up empty junk food wrappers and you researching and writing with purpose lies in that first step: your focus. Sure, anyone can find a topic to research, but turning that topic into academic discourse is another task, indeed.
Consider the following:
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