Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:
Explore the benefits and disadvantages of a wealth of information in the technological age. How do we evaluate the validity of what is available on the web, and why is it critically important to be selective?
2.) Critical Skills Assignment: This week your critical skills assignment will teach you how to search for and evaluate research. You will need to read all supporting materials and watch videos to learn your researching skills. You will submit a research question from a broad topic of your choosing and include 3 articles available through the University of Mount Olive Library. You will have a single word document submission with your research question on page 1, and then fill out the questions on the "PROVEN Method" worksheets that cause you to evaluate the strength of your 3 articles.
3.) Writing Assignment: This week you will take the research question you develop in your critical skills assignment and write the first two paragraphs of a research paper. You will put your critical skills to the test of shaping an academic research paper. Please read the detailed instructions for more information!
Critical Skills:
For this week’s critical skills assignment you will be learning how to create a research question and how to both find and evaluate the strength of scholarly articles. This week your outcomes will be
1.) Proficiency at searching for sources using the University of Mount Olive Moye Library website
2.) How to narrow a broad topic into a research question
3.) How to evaluate the strength of research using the PROVEN method of evaluation
This week you will be uploading a single word document which contains your research question and 3 individual copies of the PROVEN evaluation method worksheet from each of your 3 selected sources from the library.
Whether we read an article that mentions “Economic Recession” or “Global Warming”, we are introduced to new information everyday and need to be able to learn more about it and formulate questions to help us delve more deeply into a topic. Before beginning to search for sources for a research topic, you need to formulate your general topic as a research question, i.e. the question that you are trying to answer with your research. Since you probably know little about your topic at the beginning of your research, you may have difficulty formulating a research question. In that case you will benefit from doing some preliminary research to find more details about your topic in order to know how you want to narrow or focus your topic into a specific question.
Part 1: Formulating your research question:
Watch the video here for more information on how to perform a preliminary search and formulate a research question using our University of Mount Olive Moye Library Resources:
You will submit a word document with your specific research question. You will include 3 citations using APA formatting that will provide more detailed information to answer your specific research question. The research question is yours to develop! Do a preliminary search to find out more information to “hone” in on one research question you can get more specific information about.
Example of research topic to research question:
General research topic: Separation anxiety
Research question: How does a parent’s behavior and attitude affect the onset, intensity and duration of separation anxiety in a child?
General research topic: Hunting
Research question: How does wildlife management including hunting impact population levels of white tailed deer in North Carolina?
General research topic: Recession
Research question: Does the unemployment rate correlate with economic recession?
If you need more information about writing a research question, please see the article here (HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH QUESTION).
Parts 2,3, and 4: PROVEN evaluation method and worksheets
You will download and save the Critical Skills Assignment 6 TEMPLATE from the Moodle shell and will use the PROVEN method to evaluate the 3 sources that pertain to your research question. Each of your sources MUST be found using the Moye Library databases.
PROVEN EVALUATION METHOD WORD DOCUMENT WORKSHEET
NAME:
Broad research topic:
Specific research question:
APA citation for article 1:
APA citation for article 2:
APA citation for article 3:
PROVEN METHOD FOR ARTICLE 1
ARTICLE TITLE:
PUBLICATION TITLE:
PUBLICATION TYPE:
The process of evaluating a source includes examining the source itself and examining other sources by:
Checking for previous work. Has someone already fact-checked this source?
Finding the original source. Who originally published the information and why?
Reading laterally. What do other people say about this publication and author?
Circling back. How can you revise your original search to yield better results?
Checking your own emotions. Is your own bias affecting your evaluation??
The following questions will help you think critically during the source evaluation process:
Purpose: How and why the source was created.
• Why does this information exist—to educate, inform, persuade, sell, entertain? Do the authors,
publishers, or sponsors state this purpose, or try to disguise it?
• Why was this information published in this particular type of source (book, article, website, blog, etc.)?
• Who is the intended audience—the general public, students, experts?
PURPOSE ANSWER HERE:
Relevance: The value of the source for your needs.
• Is the type of source appropriate for how you plan to use it and for your assignment’s requirements?
• How useful is the information in this source, compared to other sources? Does it answer your question
or support your argument? Does it add something new and important to your knowledge of the topic?
• How detailed is the information? Is it too general or too specific? Is it too basic or too advanced?
RELEVANCE ANSWER HERE:
Objectivity: The reasonableness and completeness of the information.
• Do the authors present the information thoroughly and professionally? Do they use strong, emotional,
manipulative, or offensive language?
• Do the authors, publishers, or sponsors have a particular political, ideological, cultural, or religious
point of view? Do they acknowledge this point of view, or try to disguise it?
• Does the source present fact or opinion? Is it biased? Does it offer multiple points of view and critique
other perspectives respectfully? Does it leave out, or make fun of, important facts or perspectives?
OBJECTIVITY ANSWER HERE:
Verifiability: The accuracy and truthfulness of the information.
• Do the authors support their information with factual evidence? Do they cite or link to other sources?
Can you verify the credibility of those sources? Can you find the original source of the information?
• What do experts say about the topic? Can you verify the information in other credible sources?
• Does the source contradict itself, include false statements, or misrepresent other sources?
• Are there errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar?
VERIFIABILITY ANSWER HERE:
Expertise: The authority of the authors and the source.
• What makes the authors, publishers, or sponsors of the source authorities on the topic? Do they have
related education, or personal or professional experience? Are they affiliated with an educational
institution or respected organization? Is their expertise acknowledged by other authorities on the
topic? Do they provide an important alternative perspective? Do other sources cite this source?
• Has the source been reviewed by an editor or through peer review?
• Does the source provide contact information for the authors, publishers, and/or sponsors?
EXPERTISE ANSWER HERE:
Newness: The age of the information.
• Is your topic in an area that requires current information (such as science, technology, or current
events), or could information found in older sources still be useful and valid?
• When was the information in the source first published or posted? Are the references/links up to date?
• Are newer sources available that would add important information to your understanding of the topic?
NEWNESS ANSWER HERE:
PROVEN METHOD FOR ARTICLE 2
ARTICLE TITLE:
PUBLICATION TITLE:
PUBLICATION TYPE:
The process of evaluating a source includes examining the source itself and examining other sources by:
Checking for previous work. Has someone already fact-checked this source?
Finding the original source. Who originally published the information and why?
Reading laterally. What do other people say about this publication and author?
Circling back. How can you revise your original search to yield better results?
Checking your own emotions. Is your own bias affecting your evaluation??
The following questions will help you think critically during the source evaluation process:
Purpose: How and why the source was created.
• Why does this information exist—to educate, inform, persuade, sell, entertain? Do the authors,
publishers, or sponsors state this purpose, or try to disguise it?
• Why was this information published in this particular type of source (book, article, website, blog, etc.)?
• Who is the intended audience—the general public, students, experts?
PURPOSE ANSWER HERE:
Relevance: The value of the source for your needs.
• Is the type of source appropriate for how you plan to use it and for your assignment’s requirements?
• How useful is the information in this source, compared to other sources? Does it answer your question
or support your argument? Does it add something new and important to your knowledge of the topic?
• How detailed is the information? Is it too general or too specific? Is it too basic or too advanced?
RELEVANCE ANSWER HERE:
Objectivity: The reasonableness and completeness of the information.
• Do the authors present the information thoroughly and professionally? Do they use strong, emotional,
manipulative, or offensive language?
• Do the authors, publishers, or sponsors have a particular political, ideological, cultural, or religious
point of view? Do they acknowledge this point of view, or try to disguise it?
• Does the source present fact or opinion? Is it biased? Does it offer multiple points of view and critique
other perspectives respectfully? Does it leave out, or make fun of, important facts or perspectives?
OBJECTIVITY ANSWER HERE:
Verifiability: The accuracy and truthfulness of the information.
• Do the authors support their information with factual evidence? Do they cite or link to other sources?
Can you verify the credibility of those sources? Can you find the original source of the information?
• What do experts say about the topic? Can you verify the information in other credible sources?
• Does the source contradict itself, include false statements, or misrepresent other sources?
• Are there errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar?
VERIFIABILITY ANSWER HERE:
Expertise: The authority of the authors and the source.
• What makes the authors, publishers, or sponsors of the source authorities on the topic? Do they have
related education, or personal or professional experience? Are they affiliated with an educational
institution or respected organization? Is their expertise acknowledged by other authorities on the
topic? Do they provide an important alternative perspective? Do other sources cite this source?
• Has the source been reviewed by an editor or through peer review?
• Does the source provide contact information for the authors, publishers, and/or sponsors?
EXPERTISE ANSWER HERE:
Newness: The age of the information.
• Is your topic in an area that requires current information (such as science, technology, or current
events), or could information found in older sources still be useful and valid?
• When was the information in the source first published or posted? Are the references/links up to date?
• Are newer sources available that would add important information to your understanding of the topic?
NEWNESS ANSWER HERE:
PROVEN METHOD FOR ARTICLE 3
ARTICLE TITLE:
PUBLICATION TITLE:
PUBLICATION TYPE:
The process of evaluating a source includes examining the source itself and examining other sources by:
Checking for previous work. Has someone already fact-checked this source?
Finding the original source. Who originally published the information and why?
Reading laterally. What do other people say about this publication and author?
Circling back. How can you revise your original search to yield better results?
Checking your own emotions. Is your own bias affecting your evaluation??
The following questions will help you think critically during the source evaluation process:
Purpose: How and why the source was created.
• Why does this information exist—to educate, inform, persuade, sell, entertain? Do the authors,
publishers, or sponsors state this purpose, or try to disguise it?
• Why was this information published in this particular type of source (book, article, website, blog, etc.)?
• Who is the intended audience—the general public, students, experts?
PURPOSE ANSWER HERE:
Relevance: The value of the source for your needs.
• Is the type of source appropriate for how you plan to use it and for your assignment’s requirements?
• How useful is the information in this source, compared to other sources? Does it answer your question
or support your argument? Does it add something new and important to your knowledge of the topic?
• How detailed is the information? Is it too general or too specific? Is it too basic or too advanced?
RELEVANCE ANSWER HERE:
Objectivity: The reasonableness and completeness of the information.
• Do the authors present the information thoroughly and professionally? Do they use strong, emotional,
manipulative, or offensive language?
• Do the authors, publishers, or sponsors have a particular political, ideological, cultural, or religious
point of view? Do they acknowledge this point of view, or try to disguise it?
• Does the source present fact or opinion? Is it biased? Does it offer multiple points of view and critique
other perspectives respectfully? Does it leave out, or make fun of, important facts or perspectives?
OBJECTIVITY ANSWER HERE:
Verifiability: The accuracy and truthfulness of the information.
• Do the authors support their information with factual evidence? Do they cite or link to other sources?
Can you verify the credibility of those sources? Can you find the original source of the information?
• What do experts say about the topic? Can you verify the information in other credible sources?
• Does the source contradict itself, include false statements, or misrepresent other sources?
• Are there errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar?
VERIFIABILITY ANSWER HERE:
Expertise: The authority of the authors and the source.
• What makes the authors, publishers, or sponsors of the source authorities on the topic? Do they have
related education, or personal or professional experience? Are they affiliated with an educational
institution or respected organization? Is their expertise acknowledged by other authorities on the
topic? Do they provide an important alternative perspective? Do other sources cite this source?
• Has the source been reviewed by an editor or through peer review?
• Does the source provide contact information for the authors, publishers, and/or sponsors?
EXPERTISE ANSWER HERE:
Newness: The age of the information.
• Is your topic in an area that requires current information (such as science, technology, or current
events), or could information found in older sources still be useful and valid?
• When was the information in the source first published or posted? Are the references/links up to date?
• Are newer sources available that would add important information to your understanding of the topic?
NEWNESS ANSWER HERE:
George Mason University Writing Center
writingcenter.gmu.edu
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
703.993.1200
© The George Mason University Writing Center 2014
How to Write a Research Question
What is a research question?
A research question is a…
• clear
• focused
• concise
• complex
• arguable
…question around which you center your research. You should ask a question about an issue that you are
genuinely curious and/or passionate about.
Why is a research question essential to the research process?
Research questions help writers focus their research by providing a path through the research and writing
process. The specificity of a well-developed research question helps writers avoid the “all-about” paper and work
toward supporting a specific, arguable thesis.
Steps to developing a research question:
1. Choose an interesting general topic. Even directed academic research should focus on a topic in which
the writer is at least somewhat personally invested. Writers should choose a broad topic about which they
genuinely would like to know more. An example of a general topic might be “Slavery in the American
South” or “Films of the 1930s.”
2. Do some preliminary research on your general topic. Do a few quick searches in current periodicals and
journals on your topic to see what’s already been done and to help you narrow your focus. What
questions does this early research raise?
3. Consider your audience. For most college papers, your audience will be academic, but always keep your
audience in mind when narrowing your topic and developing your question. Would that particular
audience be interested in this question?
4. Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of the above, start asking yourself open-ended “how”
and “why” questions about your general topic. For example, “How did the slave trade evolve in the 1850s
in the American South?” or “Why were slave narratives effective tools in working toward the abolishment
of slavery?”
5. Evaluate your question. After you’ve got a question or even a couple of question down on paper, evaluate
these questions to realize if they would be effective research questions or if they need more revising.
o Is your research question clear? With so much research available on any given topic, research
questions must be as clear as possible in order to be effective in helping the writer direct his or
her research.
o Is your research question focused? Research questions must be specific enough to be well
covered in the space available.
o Is your research question complex? Research questions should not be answerable with a simple
“yes” or “no” or by easily-found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis
on the part of the writer.
© The George Mason University Writing Center 2014
6. Hypothesize. After you’ve come up with a question, think about what the path you think the answer will
take. Where do you think your research will take you? What kind of argument are you hoping to
make/support? What will it mean if your research disputes your planned argument? At this step, you are
well on your way to having a focus for your research, constructing a thesis, and then writing out your
argument in a paper.
Sample Research Questions
Unclear: Why are social networking sites harmful?
Clear: How are online users experiencing or addressing privacy issues on such social networking sites as
MySpace and Facebook?
The unclear version of this question doesn’t specify which social networking sites or suggest what kind of harm
the sites are causing. It also assumes that this “harm” is proven and/or accepted. The clearer version specifies
sites (MySpace and Facebook), the type of harm (privacy issues), and whom the issue is harming (users). A
strong research question should never leave room for ambiguity or interpretation.
Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global warming?
Focused: How is glacial melting affecting penguins in the Arctic Circle?
The unfocused research question is so broad that it couldn’t be adequately answered in a book-length piece, let
alone a standard college-level paper. The focused version narrows down to a specific cause (glacial melting), a
specific place (the Arctic Circle), and a specific group that is affected (penguins). When in doubt, make a research
question as narrow and focused as possible.
Too simple: How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.?
Appropriately Complex: What are common traits of those suffering from diabetes in America, and how can
these commonalities be used to aid the medical community in prevention of the disease?
The simple version of this question can be looked up online and answered in a few factual sentences; it leaves no
room for analysis. The more complex version is written in two parts; it is thought provoking and requires both
significant investigation and evaluation from the writer. As a general rule of thumb, if a quick Google search can
answer a research question, it’s likely not very effective.
Last updated 6/5/2014
