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Research and Thesis. Wsi NSE 11A – Week 10 Lee Slinger Ryerson university. Writing a Scholarly Paper. Formulate a hypothesis (Preliminary Research) Conduct Research (find scholarly sources) Read scholarly sources and take notes Formulate a thesis.
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Research and Thesis Wsi NSE 11A – Week 10Lee Slinger Ryerson university
Writing a Scholarly Paper Formulate a hypothesis (Preliminary Research) Conduct Research (find scholarly sources) Read scholarly sources and take notes Formulate a thesis • Develop an outline to prove your thesis (arguments and evidence) • Write out each section • Edit • Proofread
Outline Start your search Conduct Research What is a scholarly source Where do I find them? Taking note Formulate a Thesis
Preliminary Research You need an idea of what you are interested in. The narrower your focus, the easier it will be to find material. Formulate a working hypothesis. Be open to changing your mind as you start looking into the topic.
Preliminary Research Working towards a hypothesis. Writing and other techniques Free writing, mind-mapping, lists, discussions with classmates Reference Books Your textbooks, general information books, encyclopedia The Internet Google, Encyclopedia (like Wikipedia), Google “Deeper Web” search-term cloud (an add-on for Mozilla Firefox)https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10187/
Preliminary Research The goal is to formulate a possible answer to the essay question. Your starting search should help you get an idea of the possible answers available to you – from there you pick what you think will best answer the question. Try and be as specific as possible – this will help you find relevant scholarly sources.
Conducting Research An essay is the presentation of not only your own ideas but also the ideas you acquired to prove that you understand the subject.
Conducting Research NSE 11A/B Syllabus, p. 11
Scholarly Sources From the syllabus: You need 4. You may use the textbook in your paper but it does not count as one of your 4 sources. Sources are related to the metaparadigm concepts. Scholarly nursing journals from the Ryerson Library electronic database only.
Scholarly Sources A scholarly source: Has an argument. Is based on original research. Provides references. Is from an academic publisher. Is recent (from the last 7 years).
Conducting Research Online Academic Databases (through the library) Textbooks See the works cited (Reference section) Ryerson Library https://www.runner.ryerson.ca/Library/guides/view/?guide=122 Other online searches http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Nursing Scholar.google.ca
Conducting Research Getting help: Consult the library website or meet with a librarian. Take a library workshop on electronic resources, register on the library website Wed. Nov 20 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. ROOM LIB 667A Talk with your professor.
Conducting Research Good Research: Takes time Is a multi-step, layered process Requires revisions and reassessment Is reflected in your final grade The best sources will be the most relevant to your specific argument about the topic.
Taking Notes Consider using a computer program: RefWorks http://library.ryerson.ca/refworks/ Zotero www.zotero.org They help keep track of your research, keep your notes in an accessible location and help you cite when you write your paper.
Taking Notes Take notes carefully so that you can refer back to them later. Include the source and page number for everything you write down. Consider using index cards. Consider using a program like RefWorks.
Taking Notes - Can the topic be broken down into smaller part? - Are there any steps or stages? What is the process? - Are there points of comparison? Are there contrasting views in or about the topic? - What causes things to happen in the topic area? What were the results of processes? - Are there key ideas or terms to define? What is…? Who are…? - What specific examples can I give?
Developing a Thesis Statement A thesis statement is an argument supported by facts. Often it is the answer to a question, the resolution of a problem or a position on a debatable topic. It is a revision of your research hypothesis.
Developing a Thesis Statement Argumentation Controversy Analysis, not judgments of taste. Specificity Strong Evidence
Developing a Thesis Statement Argumentation: It makes a case. A topic has not argument, but a thesis does. Look for an active verb.
Developing a Thesis Statement Controversy: An educated person should be able to disagree with your thesis. If everyone agrees with your statement, it is not worth writing about. Does not mean a controversial topic, it means that there is room for debate.
Developing a Thesis Statement Analysis, not judgments of taste: Not personal opinion. Based on researched facts.
Developing a Thesis Statement Specificity: The more specific your thesis is, the better it is. The more specific your thesis is, the easier it is to write about. Think about the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where – and most importantly – why).
Developing a Thesis Statement Strong Evidence: You should be able to use your research to prove your point. Your research must be closely related to your thesis. You should be able to support your thesis with several pieces of research, from various sources.
Writing a Thesis Statement Remember that your thesis can change as you develop your essay. Just be sure to reflect those changes in your written statement of your thesis (in your introduction and conclusion).
Writing a Thesis StatementActivity 1. Pick one of the concepts from the metaparadigms of nursing (Person, Environment, Health and Nursing). Revisit your free writing from week 8. 2. Pick two possible priorities about that concept. Two different (ideally contrasting) reasons it might be important? Two different ways of defining the term? Or something else? 3. Make a list of the pros for each position. Why is each reason the mostimportant to that concept? 4. Pick which of the two positions you find most convincing. 5. Write a sentence on why you picked the side you did. 6. Formulate a sentence that states which side you picked and why.
Writing a Thesis StatementActivity Questions to keep in mind: Is the thesis too obvious? You should be able to imagine positions that oppose your own. If not consider revising. Can you support your thesis with the evidence you have available from your research? Does the thesis require an essay’s worth of development? Or will you run out of points too quickly? Can you explain why readers will want to read an essay with this thesis?
Writing a Thesis StatementActivity Are these strong thesis statements? How could they be stronger? If nurses are unhappy with their work, clients will be unhappy with their care. A nurse’s determination to remain involved in the research and pedagogy of nursing correlates with better service for clients and higher job satisfaction for themselves. Awareness of socio-economic issues has a direct impact on the quality of nursing care.