Research Process
Frame Your Research
Question
Around the topic (relationships)
With exploratory language (doesn’t
suggest you already have an answer)
Simple straight-forward matter-of-fact
manner.
1. What is my real personal interest in the
topic?
2. What do I specifically want to learn
about my topic?
(Don't overwhelm yourself with too
many things. Two or three are plenty.)
Start your Statement of Purpose with
words like "I want to learn about..."
Around the Topic
Relationships…
Types
sibling
love
frienemies
professional
mentor/tee
rivalry
Business
Cultural comparison
marriage/countries
gays out/countries
family loyalty/countries
caste systems/slavery
being single as a choice
international adoption
body language
Effects of X on
divorce
death
distance
poverty
age differences
success
education
Exploratory Language
How does _____ affect the ____ of
relationships?
Is there a difference in how ______ conduct
________ relationships?
Why do people….
What reasons are there for….
In comparing ____ and ____, what common
traits and distinct differences about _____
emerge?
What?
How?
Why? Does/Do?
Simple, Straightforward
A) If so many people believe in monogamy,
then why does poligamy persist in some
places in the United States and in other
places in the world?
B) Why is poligamy still around?
C) Since poligamy is unfair to women, how can
it be constitutional and legal?
Key Word - Synonym List
Why is polygamy still around?
Marriage history
polygamist culture
Mormon religion
African marriage rites
History polygamy multiple wives
Multiple husbands marriage laws
Muslim religion
harem (?)
Modern polygamy HBO’s “Big Love” (?)
Types of Information
Statistics,
The
facts
numbers
photographs
Are
Video, film,
Hidden…
audio
Poems
addressing your
topic
Data
comparisons
Artistic
representations
Newspaper
First person
articles about
accounts or
recent events on interviews
your topic
Historical
summaries
Articles by
vested experts
Encyclopedia
summaries of
your topic
Quotes from
experts who’ve
studied it
Historical
narratives
Articles by nonvested
journalists
Op-ed articles
and columns in
newspapers
Recent findings
as reported in
magazines
What Types of Information do I Want?
My question: Why is polygamy still around?
First person accounts
It’s history - where was it, where it died out
Numbers - % of polygamists around world
and where they are
Interviews, opinion pieces about why people
choose polygamy.
Court cases, findings, changes in laws?
I’m Ready
to Start Researching
(Oh wait, all that other stuff was researching too)
This is the part where I will do exactly
what Mr. Lundholm tells me. (Await
thunderous applause and rays of
sunshine cascading down upon
your shoulders)
I Found It (Okay, I found over 500
Its…kinda scary)
First result was an article about South
Africa President marrying a third wife.
Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, has taken himself a wife.(The Week)(Brief
article).National Reviewﾊ62.1ﾊ(Jan 25, 2010):ﾊp.12.ﾊ(114ﾊwords)ﾊShow detailsFull
Text :COPYRIGHT 2010 National Review, Inc.Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa,
has taken himself a wife. That makes three: Polygamy is traditional among Mr.
Zuma's people, the Zulus, and is legal in South Africa. There have also
been two former wives (suicide, divorced). In addition to the three current wives, Mr. Zuma has a
fiancee, Gloria Bongi Ngema, age unknown. Estimates of the number of Mr. Zuma's children range
from 10 to 19, either two or three of them by the lady he has just wed, and one by the
aforementioned fiancee. Mr. Zuma is 67 years old. His supporters are wont to describe him as a
"Zulu traditionalist." A conservative, then? We have alerted our Subscriptions Department.Source
Citation"Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa, has taken himself a wife." National Review 25
Jan. 2010: 12. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 3 Feb. 2010.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=moun43602>.
Don’t Go to a New Source
Yet
Open a Word doc.
Paste the link to the article.
Copy and paste the citation.
email to yourself.
Use note cards.
Note Cards
Write only one source on a note card
“Jacob Zuma, the president of
South Africa, has taken himself a
wife.” National Review 25 Jan.
2010: 12 Student Resource Center
Source Citation
- Gale. 3 February 2010.
About
…polygamy of South Af
Pres…Zulu tribe in Africa
…b/c maybe too specific
About Notes
Note Cards
Write only one main point on a note card
“Jacob Zuma, the president of
South Africa, has taken himself a
wife.” National Review 25 Jan.
2010: 12 Student Resource Center
Source Citation
- Gale. 3 February 2010.
About
…polygamy of South Af
Pres…Zulu tribe in Africa
…b/c maybe too specific
About Notes
Writing your Thesis Statement
You will develop a thesis statement about
your research topic after you have done
some actual research into the topic. You
will then present your thesis statement
in your introduction, prove it with
evidence in the body of your paper,
project, or presentation, and finally
restate it along with a summary of your
evidence in your conclusion.
Congratulations! You’re on your way!