The Research Process / Collecting Sources

Our next project is a research essay. Research is an inherently political activity... wait what exactly do I mean by that?

Let's take a look at some traditional notions of what a research paper should be:

Writing the research paper

• OWL
• Bedford

Now, what is research online? And I'm still confused by what I mean about research being an inherently political act.

The heart of a research paper (we'll get to topics vs. thesis later, I promise) is the research itself. So, what is research and how does it differ from this thing I hear about called sources?

Speaking of sources, let's talk about them for a bit.

Sources:

• Traditional sources
• Online sources
• Non-traditional sources
• Science and the Bi-Digital O-Ring Test

For Thursday I want you to post a "card" from four sources:

• One from a "traditional" sources
• One from an academic journal
• One from an online source
• One from a non-traditional source
  

In this digital era, how shall we do citations? There are some traditions which have developed methods to cite web pages and the like... but that is adaptation, not invention. What is important to you in a citation?

Super Wednesday!!!

Online Snapshot Essay

• Due: March 3 (ok, really the 2nd by 10pm)
  
• 25% of grade 250 pts
• Comment on 3 peer posts (the three below you) by March 5
  
• Email me, and only me, a letter grade and brief rationale for the three peers below you on the list. I will consider your opinions while I grade.

Reqs:

• style elements from the 3 class projects (recall, observation, conversation)
• Links
• Tags
• Go into depth regarding details – be specific, avoid “shortcuts”/judgment statements
• Keep paragraphs smaller, condensed
• Reader friendly formatting (readable colors, fonts, image sizes)
• Open to fact or fiction
• Interesting writing style
  
• Post should be able to stand alone, include necessary background information
• Embedded Multimedia – videos, music, images, etc.
  

Reviewing writing from conversation

Alright, the entire class period today will be dedicated to review of and making suggestions for your writing from conversation pieces.

So, in groups of 4 please:
1. Read your piece aloud to the group, group members should also read along
2. Group members should make 2 concrete suggestions for improvement in the comment field. If you want to gush or groan about the piece, go ahead, but be sure to include 2 specific observations with suggestions for change. The quality of your suggestions is considered in the class work/participation grade, so make them useful.
3. Spend a total (including reading) of 8-10 minutes per person.

Remember to revise for next Wednesday! Remember next Wednesday is Super Wednesday, please make sure to attend!

Inspecting writing from conversation

Today, we are going to try to look at as many of your writing from conversation posts as a whole class. We'll attempt to unpack what conversation is in a digital age, and how we go about capturing, commenting, explaining it. Are those even relevant goals in a literate society?

We will discuss writing from conversation today, then comment on each other's on weds, so we are less rushed.

You will have until next Monday to revise your conversation posts, write a new post revising your conversation based on class comments.

Additionally, before class on next Wednesday, write a post about another blog. This time speak to not only why you liked it, but who you think it's potential audience is, and how you came to that conclusion.

Also, next Wednesday is super Wednesday! Please make sure to be here as we will be discussing/negotiating the snapshot essay!!! (cue dramatic music)
...

Warning, Ze didn't always use language appropriate for dinner with the family, I realize I don't actually know your family and I apologize for assuming what type of language they use.

Ze Frank (giant baby, earth sandwich/walnuts for gold) hosted a one year conversation with anyone who would listen. He posted a vlog everyday, commenting on news and whatever struck his fancy. Eventually a community was built around his videos and people would comment. He would comment on those comments, rewarding the good ones and poking fun at the bad.

Sportsracers, as his audience/conversation partners were called even played games with Ze and each other, attempting to put two slices of bread on opposite sides of the planet in an attempt to make an "Earth Sandwich" for example. It's a great place to peek if you want to see a digital conversation in action.

Conversation on conversation

The next chapter in our quest towards the snapshot essay is writing from conversation. Today we'll discuss traditional conversation writing and how current technology might expand on our understanding of what it means to write about conversations.

Here is an example of a student practicing writing from observation. What do you see as its strengths and weaknesses?

The above example is a fairly traditional approach to writing from conversation. But what about mediated conversations? How do we think about, or write about conversations on YouTube, Blogs, email, IM, or the myriad of other ways people converse in the digital age?

Thus far print authors have either summarized the dialog, or reverted to a traditional quotation style of writing. Can we do better?

Here is a tip sheet on the use of quotation marks, they do get tricky.

By Sunday 10pm, write/record a conversation in your blog using the tools the technology makes available to you. This means you can use images, video, text, other? in posting your conversation. IM conversations, phone conversations, interpersonal, Second Life, video... the source of the conversation matters not.

What I/we will be looking for is clear communication of the conversation in a manner that is not only engaging, but one that allows us to understand more than the gist, but also the nuances of the conversation you are posting.

Looking back at your observations

As a writer, how did you find this experience? After the other students in your group are reading yours, comment on your own writing. You can speak to improvements you'd like to make, but also think about the experience itself, what was it like leaving yourself out of your writing? Did you? What contexts fit this sub-genre?

p.s. How is your tagging coming along?

p.p.s. In the interest of fairness, since I've shown you a site some use to cheat, perhaps I should show you one instructors use to catch cheaters.

Revising writing from observation

Well, it's great to be back in class, isn't it?

Today we'll review and revise our observation writing. We'll split into groups, again, and comment on each others posts.

Please focus you comments on specific areas for improvement. You should be able to come up with a minimum of two concrete items they can alter to improve their posts.

If you need help deciding what to critique, please use any of the items on this list.