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Rev:08 November 1999

This Scholarly Research Project asks you to practice the scholarly method by doing some general "reading around" in preparation for a particular study of a specific topic.  You will choose a topic that lends itself to scholarly study; and you will do a series of assignments that ask you to (a) consult specific types of resources, (b) evaluate the credentials of your sources, (c) make a specific kind of record of your findings, and (d) report at the end of the project with an annotated bibliography, an essay on the process of your research and progress of your understanding of your topic, and an outline or sampler of a longer paper that you might write if you had two more weeks to work on the project. 

Recommended for students majoring in the arts and/or sciences who intend to transfer to a four-year college or university.  Recommended also for students intending to take English 201 or 202.  Works by previous students are available for your review in my office.

Are you ready to chart your course? 

You are about to have a great adventure!

"Early planning is your ticket to Smooth Sailing and is the key to a successful research project." (G. Floren, 1975)
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RESEARCH PROCESS

General Information:  Evidence of research process in the form of journal, cards, etc., shows your methodology and attests to your integrity, discipline, and ownership of the research project. Your research process materials provide a map of your journey toward competence in college-level research. I do not accept research papers or bibliographies without evidence of work-in-progress and research process.  The quality of your research-process assignments reflect careful attention to detail; they are not expected to be perfect but to provide opportunities for "learning by doing." 

RESEARCH JOURNAL.  Your Research Journal is the record of your research process: dates and hours worked, people consulted, libraries visited, etc. It is a record of your developing thoughts, lessons learned, ideas and questions related to research, etc.

RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS--RAs: This series of assignments is designed to guide you through a scholarly process--for finding, recording, and managing information from library, Internet, and live interview resource, including bibliography cards, note cards, tapes, photocopies, other research artifacts gathered to give evidence of careful note taking and scholarly methodology.   The  assignments supplement those provided in the Lessons. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY CARDS AND NOTE CARDS.  I've devised a set of tutorials to help you practice using a database management system that used index cards to record, organize, and manage bibliographical information and notes from your sources.  These will be incorporated into the Annotated Bibliography (e.g., clipped to relevant bibliographical items) to show a match between research process and product, method and content. You will have the option of using the index-card method of managing bibliography information and notes, or the paper-printout method using word-processing or database management tools. If you are skilled in another scholarly method, let me know by or before the end of Lesson 10, so we can discuss the feasibility of working with an alternative management system.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS: Your Research Project will not be accepted without evidence of scholarly research method: Research Assignments, Research Journal and Other Writings, Research Artifacts (tapes, visuals, copies, etc.). These exercises aim to give you training and practice in the method of scholarly research--a kind of close and careful gathering, managing, and recording of information--the same scrutiny of sources and recordkeeping characteristic of the scientific method. For specific directions on Research Assignments, click on these pages:

 THE RESEARCH PROCESS IS A JOY FOREVER. . . .

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