GRASP - Graduate Research Advanced Skills Program

1. CANDIDACY PROPOSAL SERIES 4 Integrating sources: searching, selecting, summarising and synthesising GRASP - Graduate Research Advanced Skills Program This workshop aims to develop participants’ understanding of the process of building a background in the candidacy proposal which integrates the diversity of voices from a range of sources.

2. AIMS OF TODAY’S CLASS • defined and understood key terms including summarising, paraphrasing and synthesising • understood the purpose and structure of the ‘background’ section in the candidacy proposal • understood the difference between the exploration and interpretation phases of dealing with sources • practiced writing a synthesis of two excerpts from research writing • practiced writing a synthesis passage about their own research 4 Integrating Sources To consider how data from a range of sources need to be integrated into the story which you are telling. By the end of today’s class, participants will have

3. 4 Integrating Sources PURPOSE OF THE BACKGROUND SECTION The background section of your candidacy proposal • ‘sets the scene’ and gives the historical context of your proposed research • establishes the scope of the research • identifies and analyses the major debates and authors in the field • prepares the posing of your research question and statement of claim(s) • allows the development and foregrounding of your scholarly voice • is an opportunity for close analysis, summary and synthesising of the sources • includes (and/or leads into) the literature review

4. 4 Integrating Sources From Exploration to Interpretation Step 1 Exploring beliefs and topics Step 2 Initiating the search EXPLORATION PHASE Step 5 Expanding the search Step 3 Storing and organizing information Step 4 selecting/de-selecting information Step 6 Analysising/ Synthesising information INTERPRETATION PHASE (Onwuegbuzie& Fels, 2016, p.84)

5. BUILDING A BACKGROUND AND THE FOUR ‘S’ • SEARCH • SELECT • SUMMARISE • SYNTHESIZE 4 Integrating Sources

6. 4 Integrating Sources • SEARCHING • Establish topic-guiding criteria for the initial search • These criteria • help focus the initial research • provide a rationale for the direction of the initial search • provide some boundaries • the starting point is your research problem/question • some criteria emerge from your beliefs • REMEMBER! • other criteria emerge as you continue the search • the initial criteria may evolve over time

7. 4 Integrating Sources • SEARCHING • FIVE TASKS OF THE SEARCH • IDENTIFYING DATABASES - consider multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary databases • 2. PERFORMING A SEARCH - once the provisional topic is decided • 3. EXPLORING INFORMATION - read a ‘representative number’ of abstracts/read at least 6 articles entirely • 4. IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS - after reading abstracts/articles, more key terms will become available • 5. FOCUSING THE SEARCH - use synonyms for new key words • (See Onwuegbuzie and Frels,2016. pp. 88-109.)

8. 4 Integrating Sources • DATABASE SEARCHING • Topic: • ‘Discuss the impact of video games on adolescent academic achievement’

9. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Step 1: Identify keywords from the topic • video games • adolescent • academic achievement

10. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Step 2: Find alternative terms for the keywords/concepts • video games - online games - computer games – virtual games • adolescent - teenagers - youth - juvenile • academic achievement - school performance

11. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Step 3: Combine search terms using Boolean Operators (AND, OR) • AND = ‘as well as’ Narrowsyour results Tells the database that ALL search terms must be present in the results retrieved Use for different concepts eg video games ANDadolescents • OR = ‘either’ Broadensyour results Connects two or more similar terms (synonyms) Use for similar terms eg video games ORcomputer games

12. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Step 3: Combine search terms using Boolean Operators (AND, OR) • video games OR virtual games OR computer games • AND • adolescents OR teenagers OR youth • AND • academic achievement OR school performance

13. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Apply short cuts • Truncation*- a technique that broadens your search to include various word endings • e.g. construct*retrieves construct, constructed, construction, constructions, constructor, constructors • Phrase searching “…..”- used to refine your search to a specific phrase e.g. “video games”

14. 4 Integrating Sources • Creating a Search Strategy • Step 4: Final search • video games OR virtual games OR “computer games” • AND • Adolescen* OR teen* OR youth • AND • academic achievement OR school performance

15. 4 Integrating Sources • SELECTING • What are the criteria for selecting a source to be included? • Articles which provide an overview of the current state of debate in the area • Articles which are directly relevant to your research problem/question • Articles which will directly and indirectly provide evidence and support for your central claim(s) • Articles which disagree with, diverge from or contradict your claims; these are • necessary for your critique/critical evaluation of the literature • Articles which are stand-alone literature reviews of the topic/field • REMEMBER: YOU SHOULD BE BUILDING YOUR CP REFERENCE LIST IMMEDIATELY – AND CONTINUE TO REFINCE THE • LIST, EDIT AND SO ON AS YOU EDIT AND RE-EDIT THE BACKGROUND/LITE REVIEW SECTION.

16. 4 Integrating Sources • USING WRITTEN SOURCES IN YOUR RESEARCH STORY • What are the options? • Direct quotation- used very little • Summarising - useful and important; effective analysis should result in summary • Paraphrasing - vital for developing and inserting your own ‘scholarly voice’ into the conversation • Synthesising - crucial for making the connections between voices/views/approaches/methods/findings

17. 4 Integrating Sources PARAPHRASING and SUMMARISING Consider the differences [Acknowledgement: Anoka Ramsey Community College http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/stankey/ Writing/MLA_SPQ/SummPara.htm]

18. SYNTHESISING • Integrating and connecting a range of voices in relation to your voice, as the • controller at the centre of the debate. • All as part of building the background and writing your literature review • Mick for summarising section – say analysis and summary go together, so start by taling about analysis, breaking down, identifying patterns, correlatons, themes etc. 4 Integrating Sources Your ‘Scholarly Voice’ OTHER VOICES supporting contradicting contrasting complicating • OTHER VOICES • supporting • contradicting • contrasting • complicating

19. 4 Integrating Sources • SYNTHESISING • Overview - Using Evidence - Academic Guides at Walden University • https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/

20. SYNTHESIS • An example from Biology 4 Integrating Sources Learning Resource Centre, Learning Development, University of Woolongong, 2000.

21. SYNTHESIS 4 Integrating Sources Learning Resource Centre, Learning Development, University of Woolongong, 2000.

22. SYNTHESIS – another example 4 Integrating Sources (Lynette Howearth (2009) Summary of proposed Research Program: The application of strontium and lead isotopic analysis of tooth enamel to determine the migration patter of extinct Australian megafauna. Pp.1-2)

23. 4 Integrating Sources • REFERRING TO SOURCES • Academic Phrasebank • (The University of Manchester) • “It is the purpose of the literature review section of a paper or dissertation to show the reader, in a systematic way, what is • already known about the research topic as a whole, and to outline the key ideas and theories that help us to understand this. As • well as being systematic, the review should be evaluative and critical of the studies or ideas which are relevant to the current • work.” • Academic Phrasebank – Referring to Sources • http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/ • Academic Phrasebank – Referring to Sources

24. 4 Integrating Sources • REFERRING TO SOURCES • Academic Phrasebank • (The University of Manchester) • Synthesising material: bringing sources together • Similarly, Nicoladis (2006) found that X … • In the same vein, Smith (1994) in his book XYZ notes … • This view is supported by Jones (2000) who writes that … • Smith argues that her data support O’Brien’s (1988) view that … • Al-Masry’s (1986) work on X is complemented by Smith’s (2009) study of … • Almost every paper that has been written on X includes a section relating to … • Unlike Smith, Jones (2013) argues that … • In contrast to Smith, Jones (2013) arguesthat … • A broader perspective has been adopted by Smith (2013) … who argues that • Conversely, Wang (2010) reported no significant difference in mortality between X and Y. • Academic Phrasebank – Referring to Sources • http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/ • Academic Phrasebank – Referring to Sources

25. 4 Integrating Sources REFERENCES “Academic Phrasebank – Referring to Sources”. Accessed 16th March http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/ Howearth, Lynette. 2009. Summary of Proposed Research Program. The application of strontium and lead isotopic analysis of tooth enamel to determine the migration patter of extinct Australian megafauna. ‘Literature Reviews: Example from Biology’. 2000 Learning Resource Centre, Learning Development, University of Woolongong. Onwuegbuzie, Anthony and Rebecca Frels, R. 2016. Seven steps to a comprehensive literature review. Los Angeles: Sage. “Overview - Using Evidence - Academic Guides at Walden University” Accessed 16th March 2018 . https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/evidence/citations/notenough ‘Summary vs Paraphrase’. Anoka Ramsey Community College. Accessed 16th March 2018 http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/stankey/ Writing/MLA_SPQ/SummPara.htm