Independent Study:
An Overview
PURPOSE:
• To research a topic of
personal interest to
you.
• Clarify a career choice.
• Solve a problem that
has always bothered
you.
TOPICS
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What do you want to do with your life?
What do you want to learn more about?
What makes you angry?
What do you want to change in society,
in America, in the world?
SOURCES
• Primary sources:
– Conduct an original survey
– Conduct an interview
– Experiment or observation (optional)
• Secondary sources:
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Books
General press articles
Peer reviewed journals
Op/Ed articles
Historical documents (diaries, letters, tracts,
declarations, columns, proclamations, treatises,
essays, commentaries, manifestos, mandates,
addresses, lectures, eyewitness accounts, charters,
principles, speeches, and dictionaries).
Primary Source Requirements:
• Original Survey:
– at least ten questions of
varying types.
– questions should explore
attitudes.
• Original Interview:
– 3-5 questions that require
more than a yes/no
response.
– Interview an expert or
survey respondent.
PRIMARY SOURCE OPTIONS:
• Original Observations:
you may wish to
conduct a series of
observations to help
you prove your thesis.
• Original Experiments:
you may wish to
conduct an experiment
to help prove your
thesis.
Secondary Source Requirements:
• Read at least part of one book.
• Read at least one peer reviewed
journal.
• Read at least two general press
articles.
• Read at least three opinion
pieces.
Secondary Source Options:
• Preview at least one documentary.
• Interpret at least one image.
A GOOD RESEARCH QUESTION:
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Is researchable
Is answerable in whole or in part
Is important to many people
Is suggestive of other questions
Is innovative
Is provocative
Is honest and direct and not
deceptive
• Is clear and unambiguous
• Its answer has possible use in the
world
Is genetic engineering beneficial
for civilization?
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Is researchable
Is answerable in whole or in part
Is important to many people
Is suggestive of other questions
Is innovative
Is provocative
Is honest and direct and not
deceptive
• Is clear and unambiguous
• Its answer has possible use in the
world
What is the impact of social
media on our culture?
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Is researchable
Is answerable in whole or in part
Is important to many people
Is suggestive of other questions
Is innovative
Is provocative
Is honest and direct and not
deceptive
• Is clear and unambiguous
• Its answer has possible use in the
world
SAMPLE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
• Are girls being exploited at younger and younger
ages?
• How do sleeping disorders affect families,
communities, societies?
• Should the US be spending millions in the war on
drugs?
• Are we a loveless culture?
• How much influence should religious beliefs have on
lawmaking?
• Why is Holocaust education still necessary in our
society?
• Is society dehumanizing itself by not recognizing the
existence of modern slaves?
• What is the impact of advertising on our culture?
Sample research questions:
• Have corporations/government become complicit
in the obesity epidemic?
• Can schools recognize and curb hazing?
• Is the theatre district in danger of extinction?
• Why is it man’s nature to struggle for power?
• Can a child’s education be considered complete
without exposure to the arts?
• What are the bases for denying medical
treatment?
• How have events in the Middle East affected
American attitudes towards terrorism?
• Is polygamy a violation of freedom of religion or a
violation of human rights?
How do I set up the research paper?
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Title Page
Purpose Page
Methodology Page
Operational Definitions Page
Clean Copy of Your Survey Page
Graphs of Survey Results Pages
Conclusions Pages
Limitations Page
Suggestions for Further Research Page
Works Cited Page
Appendix Pages
TITLE PAGE:
• In center of center, title
of your project.
• Beneath it in center,
your thesis.
• In lower right corner,
your name, date.
• Colorful graphics
optional.
PURPOSE PAGE:
• 1-2 paragraphs explaining why you
chose your topic and what you hope to
accomplish by your research into it.
• Written in first person.
• Personal and impassioned.
METHODOLOGY PAGE:
• 2-3 paragraphs describing what
research you did, what sources you
contacted, what methods you used to
obtain your data.
• Explain how each method generally
helped you to prove your point,
understand your issue, attain your goal.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
PAGE (optional):
• A listing of terms you are using in your paper that
are relevant to your topic and that your readers
may not be familiar with.
• As you read your secondary sources, highlight
any terminology. This way, you have your opdefs ready to go.
COPY OF YOUR SURVEY:
• Reserve a clean copy of your survey.
• Save your survey on your computer or
USB.
GRAPHS OF SURVEY DATA:
• Use Create-aGraph or other
site to make
your graphs.
• Use bar, line, or
pie graphs
depending on
the demands of
your results.
CONCLUSIONS PAGES:
Should include the following and be organized in a way
that best fits with your data:
•Analysis of the complexity of your topic; opposing
viewpoints on it.
•Analysis of your primary source(s); why you believe
your respondents answered as they did.
•Comparison of primary and secondary research;
speculation about why your data does or does not
reflect experts’ data.
LIMITATIONS PAGE:
• Answer: What obstacles prevented my
research from going further?
• Avoid:
– could not find any information.
– did not have enough time.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER
RESEARCH PAGE:
• Answer: What would you do if you could
continue researching your topic next
year?
WORKS CITED PAGE:
• Use MLA format.
• Create your bibliography
using online sites:
– www.easybib.com
– www.bibme.org
APPENDIX:
• Transcripts of your interviews.
• Notes from your observations and
experiments (optional).