Willamette Promise WR 121 / WR 122 Research Practices
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How to Pose a Research Question
When you are posing a research question it should be guide by
Three Steps to Posing a Research Question
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Examples:
Too Broad: What is the future of farming?
Too Narrow: How will robot berry pickers impact Oregon farmers?
Focused but Flexible: How will technology impact field crop farming?
What About Background Research
If you don’t know anything about your topic, it is helpful to do some initial background research before
you draft your guiding research question.
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Stop once you feel you have enough information to draft a guiding research question that will lead to
more substantial research.
How to Conduct Better Research
Research is a process, and not always a linear one. The following steps are guidelines to getting started,
but you should feel comfortable revisiting any step at any time.
Eight Tips to Better Research
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When to Stop Researching
Researching at the college level is a balancing act. You don’t want to simply use the first results you find
regardless of what they are, but you also don’t want to over-research and waste time. You want high
quality sources that answer your research question. To strike this balance, practice “satisficing” in your
research. When you satisfice, you set a standard beforehand for what will meet the goal and once the
goal is satisfactorily met, you stop searching
For example, if your assignment calls for a minimum of three sources, you might set a goal of finding
nine sources so that you have some flexibility as you write. Once you have nine quality sources, you stop
researching and begin drafting. As you revise your project, you might look for additional research as
needed, but limit this only to high-quality sources that fill in the missing information.
How to Avoid Filter Bubbles and Confirmation Bias
Everyone is susceptible filter bubbles and confirmation bias when they research (even if you don’t think
you are—technology and the hard wiring of our brains work against us in trying to avoid them) .
“A filter bubble is the intellectual isolation that can occur when websites make use of algorithms to
selectively assume the information a user would want to see, and then give information to the user
according to this assumption. Websites make these assumptions based on the information related to
the user, such as former click behavior, browsing history, search history and location. For that reason,
the websites are more likely to present only information that will abide by the user's past activity.
A filter bubble
Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias affects how we look at the world around us, and how we process what is otherwise
neutral information—and it tends to favor our existing beliefs. Even our memories are affected by
confirmation bias, because we interpret and possibly even change memories and facts in our head
based on our beliefs.
It’s easy to accept opposing views when they concern things we don’t care about. But we also have
deep-seated beliefs that form a core part of our identity—that we are a kind person, that our political
views are correct, etc. Evidence that runs counter to these beliefs often causes cognitive dissonance—a
feeling of immense stress and anxiety.
It takes tremendous effort
While confirmation bias isn’t a new human condition, it can be seen
Five Steps to Counteract Filter Bubbles and Confirmation Bias
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From the Video:
What is Lateral Reading and how do you do it?
Why is it beneficial
Authority is Constructed and Contextual
Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the
information need and the context in which the information will be used.
Authority is
It is contextual
Authority is a type of influence recognized or exerted within a community. View authority with an
attitude of informed skepticism and an openness to new perspectives, additional voices, and changes in
schools of thought. Understand the need to determine the validity of the information created by
different authorities and to acknowledge biases that privilege some sources of authority over others,
especially in terms of others’ worldviews, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural orientations.”
Common Types of Authority
Education and Training
Experience
Expertise
Education and Training
Recognition
Charisma
Institutional Authority
Five Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Source
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What About Fake News?
Fake news is a problem and identifying it is important, but it’s also important to know what it’s not.
It has become a common tendency to label something as “fake news” when it is a story that presents
facts that are critical, unflattering, or in opposition to a public figure.
It has also become common to depict anything said by the opposing side of an issue as “fake news.”
It’s not fake news if it is based on facts. It’s not fake news if it just a differing opinion on a particular
issue.
Fake news is
Fake news is a form
Facts are
News Media
All news outlets present stories based on the editorial viewpoint of the publication. Editorial viewpoints
can reflect a range of political perspectives, from liberal to center to conservative. Center doesn’t
equate to neutrality, just the middle of the political spectrum.
News media companies also have both news and commentary that appear on their sites. The better
organizations present facts in news articles in a neutral tone and try to limit (but cannot entirely
eliminate) their editorial viewpoint. Commentary presents an opinion reflecting an editorial viewpoint
and is an interpretation of the facts from that viewpoint.
Types of News Articles
News:
Commentary/Opinion:
Fake News:
Primary and Secondary Articles in Academic Journals
Articles found in library databases and professional academic journal publications will be either primary
or secondary articles and follow the conventions set by the academic discipline community.
Primary articles
Secondary article
Academic articles go through the convention of being peer reviewed before publication. “Peer review is
the system used to assess the quality of an article before it is published. Experts in the relevant research
area assess articles for originality, validity and significance.
By undergoing peer review, articles should become:
More robust Easier to read More useful Four Types of Academic Articles Found in Library Databases/Journals
PRIMARY ARTICLES
1) Original study
SECONDARY ARTICLES
2) Theoretical Articles
3) Literature/Systematic Reviews
4) Meta-Analysis Reviews
Grey Literature
Grey literature is information produced by government agencies, academic institutions, and business
and industries that is not published in academic/professional publications.
Examples of grey literature include reports, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations,
government documents, white papers, newsletters, patents/technical specifications, etc.
Note: White papers are