CM 220
Unit 3 Seminar
General Education, Composition
Kaplan University
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Seminar Overview
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Unit assignments
Preview of unit 4
Primary and secondary research
Brief library overview
Interviewing skills
Creating questions for mock interview
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Applying what you know. . .
Let’s review the article by O’Hegarty, et al.
• The article concludes that the U.S. should use graphic
warnings on cigarette packages because these are likely
to be effective in encouraging people not to smoke.
• Is their research valid? Does it have any weaknesses?
Could the hypothesis be tested further? Would the use
of graphic warnings be an example of the “appeal to
fear” fallacy and, if so, would using them in an antismoking campaign be ethical?
• What were drawbacks that study participants noted
with some of the ads?
• Does their argument rely on any LOGICAL
FALLACIES?
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Canadian warnings
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How do we AVOID fallacies
in our own writing?
• Imagine you disagree with your own argument. Which
of your arguments would not convince you and why?
Which arguments are “fishy” or weak?
• List your argument. List the evidence you provide for
each claim. Look critically at this evidence.
• Ask yourself which fallacies you are prone to make.
Look for these in your arguments.
• Review your argument for absolutes and sweeping
generalizations (all, every, never, always)
• Review the types of Logical Fallacies listed in the
handbook on pp. 5-6 and review your argument for
these problems.
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Unit 3 seminar
UNIT 3 ASSIGNMENTS
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Unit 3 Reading
• Introduction to unit
• Schamberger, M. (1997). Elements of
quality in a qualitative research interview.
S. A. Archives Journal, 3925. Retrieved from
Academic Search Premier database.
• Interview Tips (posted in Doc Sharing)
• Research Resources (posted in Doc
Sharing)
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Other Assignments
• Invention lab: Analysis of Senate hearing
videos from Fred Rogers and Al Gore
• Seminar: Interview techniques and
listening skills
• Tech lab (ideas for unit 7 IL presentation
revised for final): Creating websites
(Kaplan optimal resume website builder,
Google sites, Weebly, GoDaddy)
• No project due in unit 3
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Purpose of Unit 3
Assignments
• Discuss what constitutes effective
communication
• Review effective listening skills
• Prepare for the unit 4 project, which includes
a pre-interview worksheet and discussion of
3 secondary sources
• Note: You do not have to conduct the
interview, or, if conducted, use it as a source
in your project, but this is a great chance to
get interviewing experience!
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Evaluating Communication
What is the setting?
What is the appearance of speaker?
Is the speaker reading the speech from notes?
Does the speaker have appropriate pauses and
make eye contact with audience? Use gestures?
• Does the speaker gear the speech to the intended
audience? How does the speaker attempt to
connect with the audience?
• How does the speaker emphasize specific points?
• Does the speaker have any annoying habits that
detract from the speech?
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Understanding Context
• Everything is written (or spoken) to someone for some
purpose. The email you send to your sister should be
written differently than a proposal you send to a
business client, and a speech delivered to a group of
second graders would differ from the President speaking
to Congress.
• Knowing the audience, purpose, and the context is
vitally important to good writing and speaking. Ask
yourself:
– Why am I writing or saying this?
– Who is my audience?
– What am I trying to say?
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Writing vs. Speaking
• Writing only uses
words
• Message must be
clearly and correctly
written to convey
ideas
• Demonstrate
competence by using
Standard American
English
• Speaking uses words,
tone, gestures, facial
expressions, posture,
eye contact
• May be accompanied
by visual aids (Power
Point, etc.)
• Appearance is
important!
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Unit 3 seminar
CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS
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Primary Sources
“A primary source is a document or physical object which was written
or created during the time under study. These sources were present
during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a
particular event. Some types of primary sources include: ORIGINAL
DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries,
speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage,
autobiographies, official records
• CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art
• RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings “
(“What is a Primary Source,” 2009).
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Examples of Primary Sources
• Diary of Anne Frank - Experiences of a Jewish family
during WWII
• The Constitution of Canada - Canadian History
• A journal article reporting NEW research or findings
• Weavings and pottery - Native American history
• Plato's Republic - Women in Ancient Greece
• Interview with author about his novels
(“What is a Primary Source,” 2009)
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Secondary Sources
“A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary
sources. These sources are one or more steps removed
from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures,
quotes or graphics of primary sources in them. Some
types of secondary sources include: PUBLICATIONS:
Textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticisms,
commentaries, encyclopedias ” (“What is a primary
source,” 2009)
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Examples of Secondary Sources
• A journal/magazine article which interprets or
reviews previous findings
• A history textbook
• A book about the effects of WWI
(“What is a Primary Source,” 2009).
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Finding Secondary Sources
• Kaplan Library (see library presentation in
Doc Sharing, as well as video on library
home page)
• Google Scholar
• Other databases with peer-reviewed
works
• Newspapers and appropriate magazines
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Interviews
Is this a PRIMARY or SECONDARY source?
• What are the benefits of conducting an
interview?
• Is all interview information useful and
reliable?
• How do you determine what information
is useful and reliable?
• How would you choose an interview
subject?
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How to Conduct an Interview
1.
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4.
Select interview subject
Prepare for interview
Conduct interview
Follow up
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Select Interview Subject
• Who would be a good source of
information for your subject?
• How well known is this person? Is this
person an expert on the subject?
• How do you locate this person?
• How do you request and schedule an
interview?
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Preparing for an Interview
• Research your interviewee
• Establish a goal or purpose for the
interview
• Prepare questions in advance
• Prioritize the questions
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Determining Questions
• Ask yourself: “What do I need to know?”
• Write a list of things you want to find out
• Write a list of research questions that will help
your interviewee discuss this information
• Avoid biased questions: “Don’t you think we
could improve campus parking by building
another parking garage?”
• Check the questions carefully to see if the
wording could be offensive to your interviewee
(“How to Conduct an Interview,” 2008).
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Open and Closed-ended
Questions
Yes/no questions can be answered with a simple
yes or no. They may not be very productive or
elicit much information. These are “closedended” questions.
Ask open-ended questions when possible, which
allow the interviewee to explain, clarify and
defend an idea.
Yes/no: Will you support the new tax increase?
Open Ended: How will increased taxes benefit or
hurt local businesses?
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During the Interview
• Be gracious and thank the person for his or her
time.
• Respect this person’s time by being on time and
prepared.
• Pay attention to what the person is saying and
use the opportunity to ask follow up questions
• Take notes or record the interview (with
permission)
• Stick to the subject but be flexible.
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Listening Skills
• When you interview or are the subject of
an interview, listening is a very important
skill.
• Look at your interviewee. We learn a lot
from a person’s facial expressions, tone,
posture, eye contact.
• How can YOU show you are listening and
paying attention?
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Follow-up
• A follow up thank you note would be appropriate.
• Transcribe your notes as quickly as possible after the
interview.
• Give the interviewee an opportunity to review the notes
to be sure they are accurate.
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Unit 3 seminar
DEVELOPING QUESTIONS
FOR AN INTERVIEW SUBJECT
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Unit 4 Project: Pre-Interview
Worksheet
• Describe the interviewee and reflect on why
this person would be helpful for your
research
• Discuss any research you have done on the
topic
• Come up with three open-ended and three
closed-ended questions and discuss your
reasons for asking them
• Anticipate answers to questions
• Come up with additional questions
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Selecting a Subject
• Topic: Banning smoking in public places
• Possible interviewee: Michael Siegel, a
professor at Boston University’s School of
Public Health and an anti-smoking
advocate
• How to find out information? Faculty
profile on BU website, internet search,
other interviews, search in KU Library for
articles written by subject
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“His
primary research interest is in the area of tobacco
control, focusing on secondhand smoke health effects,
exposure, and policies, cigarette advertising and
marketing practices and their effects on youths, and
evaluation of tobacco control policies and their impact
on youth and adult smoking behavior. His primary
teaching is in the areas of mass communication,
marketing, and public health advocacy. He is co-author
of a book, entitled Marketing Public Health: Strategies
to Promote Social Change, that grew out of his teaching
experience at the School. He has been active in
promoting smoke-free bar and restaurant policies
throughout the country and has served as an expert
witness in several major tobacco litigation cases”
(Boston University School of Public Health, 2010).
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What questions
might you have for
Siegel?
Closed-ended (yes/no)
example:
Do you believe smoking
bans reduce the number
of smokers?
Open-ended example:
How have your public
criticisms of claims about
dangers of second and
third-hand smoke
affected your own efforts
to reduce smoking?
• While Siegel is an antitobacco advocate, he worries
that researchers exaggerate
the impact of tobacco on nonsmokers’ health. An article
published on Kansas
Watchdog.org quotes Siegel
regarding the relationship
between second-hand smoke
and heart attacks and thirdhand smoke. He feels that the
claims are “hysterical” and
pose a threat to reducing the
number of smokers (Soutar,
2010, para. 32).
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Your Turn
Whom would you like to interview and
why?
What questions would you like to ask?
What kind of information would you like to
get from the interview?
How will you arrange the interview?
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