The Research Process Through Inquiry

1. The Research Process Through Inquiry & THE EXTENDED ESSAY K. Marsh & J. Fink Glenforest Resource Centre

2. What is Inquiry? • A research process by which students generate meaningful questions, locate information, interpret findings, demonstrate understanding and reflect on their learning. • In other words, this is how you write an extended essay.

3. The four stages of the inquiry and research process: • Preparing for research (your plan) • Accessing resources (reading) • Processing information (developing your research question, thesis statement, note taking, writing the outline, composing the rough draft, revision, and proofreading) • Transferring learning (writing the final draft)

4. Preparing for Research

5. Getting ready is the most critical step • This includes: • Defining information needs • Determining what is expected • Understanding how you will be evaluated • Considering how to organize information • Determining what you already know • Deciding how to start • Formulating your research question http://www.turnerfentonib.com/docs/ee/EE_Sample_Table_of_Contents.pdf

6. Why is this part of the research process so difficult? In a study conducted by TheInformation School at the University of Waterloo in February 2009 of 86 post secondary students from universities across the US., when it comes to conducting research, it was confirmed that …

7. No matter where the students were enrolled …

8. No matter what information resources they may have at their disposal …

9. And no matter how much time they are given …

10. Research seems to be far more difficult to conduct in the digital age than it didin previous times.

11. Why? • Information overload • Too much irrelevant information • Trying to find the "perfect source" • Not knowing what to look for, yet still sifting through articles that might fit • Trouble finding books • Can find online citation but not full-text article • Too many results from a Google search & having to sort through them • Figuring out what is a credible source, and whatis not

12. You have to manage your workload and ask questions whenever necessary • Don't leave it to the last minute (exams are over …….) • Don't procrastinate (8 out of 10 students surveyed admit that they do) which results in feelings of angst, fatigue, dread, fear, anxiety, anger, stress, disgust, intrigue, confusion, and being completely overwhelmed • Understand your topic and get excited about it • Use this time to "stew" and mull over what you have to do; to wade through resources now vs. later; to explore other alternatives; to discuss concerns with your mentor or TLs • Understand the parameters and expectations of the EE • Consult the assessment rubric • Find, access, and secure relevant resources

13. Pick your topic & mentor Understand your topic Refine your topic Create the research question Answer the research question with your thesis statement Begin your research Continue to research Take notes Document Outline First draft Revise Proofread Bibliography Abstract Appendices (if required) Submit Important Steps for Writing the EE

14. Formulating a GOOD Research Question • Remain focussed • Make sure the question can be fully researched • Make sure it's not too broad or too narrow, based on your preliminary research • Your thesis statement is the answer to this question • Vitally important to the flow of your essay • Avoid broad topics as they are too difficult to manage • "business management" vs. "the pros and cons of Japanese management style" • You decide if a topic is researchable or not (by reading) • Keep in mind that you must develop a thesis statement that answers your research question

15. Do the economies that result from a trash burning plant outweigh or not outweigh its environmental impact? Is sexual preference a result of nature (physically based) or nurture? Definitely – lots of information but a lot to sift through (reading) Somewhat – not enough research available that comes down on one side Which question has research potential?

16. Does MacDonald's or BurgerKing make a better burger? Is Prozac a good way to treat clinical depression? Is there a link b/w hours of TV viewing and violent behaviour in children aged 8 to 14? No – wording has no concrete meaning, no definition of "better" Yes – lots of info, a lot of time to sift through it, both sides of argument available Yes – again, lots of info and it's available for both sides of argument; reading is going to be substantial Try again …

17. Accessing Resources

18. This has proven to the greatest challenge … Some helpful hints: • Locate a variety of resources • And then …

19. READ

20. READ

21. and then READ some more …

22. Reported by a student from the study we mentioned earlier: I spend so much more time researching, just trying to find information, than I ever do on writing the paper. I seem to spend the most time coming to the library, trying to find out where the hell the article I need is, getting it, copying it … so now I have to go and try to find the article in the main stacks, physically, and it takes so much my time, it's like so frustrating.

23. Hey! She just discovered research 

24. And keep going … • Do NOT start with the internet • Indexes, Indexes, Indexes • Evaluate: Is information current? • Does the source have authority? • Have you used primary sources? • Are your secondary sources superior? • When you identify a good source, always record it • Always take notes systematically (written or electronic) http://www.glenforestlibrary.com/pdf-files/sample.doc • Avoid plagiarism by identifying general vs. subject-specific knowledge

25. Documentation • The basic rule for documentation is: Document anyspecificideas, opinions, and facts that are not your own. The only thing you don't have to document is common knowledge. • There are two categories of common knowledge, information that's known to the general public and information that is agreed upon by most people in a professional field. Yet sometimes common knowledge can be tricky to define. • If in doubt, document.

26. Reported by another student who participated in the study: I go to Wikipedia just so to get an understanding of a topic. Like, I did a paper on Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia and I went to Wikipedia first just to check it out. I looked at the history of Peurto Rico and then, Puerto Ricans in the United States. Just to get a basic understanding, so that, I could say to myself, okay, I know the beginning now, I know the current situation, I'm okay, and now I've got some citations and stuff, I've got a stepping stone to get deeper into the issue I've chosen.

27. Hey! He just discovered research through creating context 

28. Taken from Wikipedia: Wikipedia can be a great tool for learning and researching information. However, as with all sources, not everything in Wikipedia is accurate, comprehensive, or unbiased. Many of the general rules of thumb for conducting research apply to Wikipedia, including: Always be wary of any one single source (in any medium–web, print, television or radio), or of multiple works that derive from a single source. Where articles have references to external sources (whether online or not) read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says. In all academic institutions, Wikipedia, along with most encyclopedias, is unacceptable as a major source for a research paper. Other encyclopedias, such as Britannica, have notable authors working for them and may be cited as a secondary source in most cases. For example, Cornell University has a guide on how to cite encyclopedias. However, because of Wikipedia'sunique nature, there are also some rules for conducting research that are special to Wikipedia, and some general rules that do not apply to Wikipedia.

29. Is Wikipedia accurate? • It depends on the subject; for science and history , Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica. Scientists and historians are sticklers for accuracy and detail. Also, current research in these fields is frequently published, debated and scrutinized. • Whenever information can be self-serving , (politics, commercial enterprise), entries in Wikipedia should always be treated as suspect. "Peer editing" is non-existent in these fields, since peers are competitive rivals and try to undermine opponents. Some politicians who are able, have staffers who do nothing but review web information on wikis since opponents can edit such sites unfavourably. Should you use Wikipedia? • You are going to anyway, regardless of what we say. Use the site during your initial stages of research, when you read many sources to familiarize yourself with your topic. After that, go elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with returning to Wikipedia to confirm a fact that you find elsewhere, or for background info, but never cite Wikipedia.

30. Consult the EE Guide for the format you are required to use in your subject area Where can you find this? http://www.glenforestlibrary.com/ib-resources/extended-essay.html

31. Processing Information

32. This is the most difficult step: • Analyze and evaluate • Interpret: What does it mean? Is it relevant? • Can I use the information? (legitimate evidence?) • Thesis development • Accurate and appropriate documentation through copious and accurate notes

33. RESEARCH NOTES • Record all necessary and appropriate information: author, title, publisher, place of publication, volume, span of pages, date. • Creating the "Bibliography" or "List of Recourses" for the end of your paper and simply copy and paste the bibliographic information. • Keep a running list of page numbers as you take notes, so you can identify the exact location of each piece of noted information. • Remember, you will have to refer to these sources accurately, sometimes using page numbers within your paper and, depending on the type of source, using page numbers as part of your list of sources at the end of the paper. • Note cards are a good way to organize • Go to our website for some templates: www.glenforestlibrary.com under Library, Research Tools

34. RESEARCH NOTES, cont'd. WHAT TO PUT INTO NOTES • Summarize, paraphrase or direct quotations • Have a system - label each card or note "s" "p" or "q"as a way of keeping track of the kind of notes you took from a source. • a direct quotation reproduces the source's words and punctuation exactly, so you add quotation marks around the sentence(s) to show this • Remember it is essential to record the exact page numbers of the specific notes, since you will need them later for your documentation. • Keep a copy of all rough work, just in case (if you are accused of academic dishonesty by IBO you'd better have the proof that you did everything right)

35. Developing a good thesis statement • Focusses your ideas and information • Specifies and orders your categories of information • A proposed answer to your research question • Can be modified and revised as your research more and more about your topic • One complete sentence that expresses the main idea of your paper • Located in the introductory paragraph • Shouldn't go overboard • Computers are the most important invention of the 20th century • I.B. is the most effective academic program available to Peel students.

36. A thesis statement is : • A sentence that explicitly identifies the purpose of the paper or previews its main ideas • The answer to your research question • Found in the first paragraph of your essay • Restated in your concluding paragraph • an assertion, not a statement of fact or an observation • takes a stand rather than announcing a subject • is the main idea, not the title • Explains in detail what you expect to write about • narrow, rather than broad because if it is sufficiently narrow, it can be fully supported • is specific rather than vague or general

37. Which thesis statement answers a research question about adult illiteracy in Canada most effectively? • Adult illiteracy poses the greatest threat to Canada today. • Adult illiteracy has many causes, but it can be eliminated. • How can the problem of adult illiteracy in Canada be effectively addressed? • Subsuming a myriad of causal factors, adult illiteracy manifests itself throughout contemporary Canadian society. • We can eliminate adult illiteracy in Canada now!

38. You're right … They're all unacceptable.

39. Go to our website for further information on the thesis statement : http://www.glenforestlibrary.com/pdf-files/4writingathesis.doc

40. Transfer Learning

41. This will involve: • The final product: your extended essay • Remember to include: • the Title Page http://www.glenforestlibrary.com/pdf-files/sampletitle.dot • the Table of Contents http://www.turnerfentonib.com/docs/ee/EE_Sample_Table_of_Contents.pdf • the Abstract http://www.glenforestlibrary.com/ib-resources/extended-essay.html • the Bibliography http://www.turnerfentonib.com/docs/ee/How_to_cite.pdf

42. Formatting Your Citations • You are required to use Chicago as your formatting style. • No exceptions • Go towww.glenforestlibrary.com, scroll over to the Library tab, scroll down to Research Tools, click on Chicago Style Guide under the Quick Access column on the left hand side • Or click here:http://www.cawthrapark.com/SourceIt/index.html • This means footnotes or endnotes, no embedded citations.

43. A FINAL THOUGHT ABOUT ACADEMIC HONESTY • Understand academic dishonesty and malpractice according to the IB Diploma Programme • Know the consequences • Know that there is an investigation procedure that will be followed • Go to our website and read the EE Guide • Know that your essay will be submitted to www.turnitin.com as a draft document • Don't be an idiot 

44. Thank you. Any questions?