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English 1301 - Koehler, Debra: Inquiry Research Essay

Searching as Strategic Exploration

 

English 1301 Reading Inquiry Research Essay Fall 2023

Full Term 1301 Classes

Objective: To connect our reading with authentic research applications using the steps below. [Note: a research paper is different from a book report] This project will lead to a processed writing that answers your research question.

  1. For this essay you will pick some topic generated from your reading of our book which you found interesting and want to know more about. The more you have a personal “felt need” to know regarding this inquiry project the better. You may already know a little bit about the topic you choose to investigate, but you will want to know more.

  1. As you read through the book, you will take note of the different ideas introduced and discussed in our book. Pick salient quotes that reflect those topics and add them to the chart. This chart will help you narrow down the topics and help you formulate research questions.

  1. Your goal is to create your own research topic from your reading. You will narrow your inquiry to one research question.

  1. Then you will research it through library and web sources, and perhaps from field research where you talk to people or experts. The goal is to find answers to whatever you set for your research questions and convince your readers about your answers.

Parameters: 5 to 8-page paper that uses at least four research sources, including the book. Your final project will be accompanied by an Appendix (for your annotated bibliography) in which you evaluate the sources you used and why you selected them (See example annotated bibliography),  If you use any AI support, you must also include another appendix with the full conversations.  You must also remember to use in-text citations for AI support used in your writing as well as provide a source citation on the Works Cited page.

Success Criteria and Dates:

Reading/ Find Topics and Quotes Plan for Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

1

Chapters 1 – 4 (I – IV)

Finish Reading and find topic/quotes by       8 September

2

Chapters 5 – 8 (V-VIII)

Finish reading and find topic/quotes by      15 September

3

Chapters 9 – 12 (IX – XII)

Finish reading and find topic/quotes by      22 September

4

Chapters 13 – 16 (XIII-XVI)

Finish reading and find topic/quotes by      29 September

5

Chapters 17 – 20 (XVII-XX)

 Finish reading and find topic/quotes by        6 October 

 

Research Essay Plan

Research Log (see below) due

Week 8    NLT  20 October

Research Topics and Questions

Week 8    NLT  20October

Research Proposal due

Week 9    NLT  27 October

Database Research

Weeks 9-11

Annotated Bibliography

Week 11    NLT 10 November

Draft E4-1/Peer Review/Writer Review

Week 12     13 Nov/14 Nov/15 Nov

Draft E4-2/Peer Review/Writer Review

Week 13     20 Nov/21 Nov/ 22 Nov

Final Draft E4-3/ Writer review

Week 15     7 Dec/ 8 Dec

The Final Paper will have these parts:

  1. Introduction: Set up your topic, research question, and a one to three sentence(s) summary of findings (serves as thesis)
  2. The Story of your Research Process: Describe what you did to research so we can gauge your research results and appreciate them.
  3. The Results of your Research: Here you will detail what you found out, the answer(s) you found for your question.
  4. My Thoughts on My Research Process and My Research Results: What have you learned from this project about researching and about your topic of interest.
  5. Conclusion
  6. Appendix 1 (Annotated Bibliography)
  7. Appendix 2 (Any GenAI conversations about your paper)

Essay Requirements:

  • 1000 – 1500 words
  • Incorporate information from three research sources.
  • Use information from the book itself (so you will have a minimum total of FOUR sources).
  • One of your research sources must be a peer-reviewed academic article. DO NOT USE Encyclopedias of any sort or Wikipediaes of any sort as a source for your paper.
  • Final draft typed in MLA Documentation format with a Works Cited page AND an Appendix (your annotated bibliography) and if you used GenAI you must also have another separate appendix for that.

Step One:  Fill in your Topic/Quote Chart

Directions: As you read your book, make a minimum of ten (10) analytical observations. Make two observations (at a minimum) for each chapter group in the reading plan. What topics did you notice while you were reading? What do you notice about what is being said about that topic? Where in the book do you find this? Write all of this, plus a quote and the page you found this on in the chart below. Copy this chart to another Word document to fill out and turn in. You do not have to copy the example.

Here are some topics to start you off: 

Social Class, Art and Aesthetics, The Role of the Artist, Physiognomy (the idea that external features indicate internal morals), Sexuality, Evil, Self-Worship, Corruption and Morality, Duality of Human Nature, Aging, Gender and Sexuality, Mortal Sins. . .. This list is not all-inclusive as you may see a topic show itself through your reading that is not listed here.

TOPIC

OBSERVATIONS

QUOTE(S) & PAGE#S

Example:

Social Class

        

This quote shows the disdain and mistrust the lower class has for the upper-class gentlemen, especially an upper-class gentleman who is paying attention to his sister. Oscar Wilde is known for criticizing social class in almost all his writings.

 “This young dandy who was making love to her could mean her no good. He was a gentleman, and he hated him for that, hated him through some curious race-instinct for which he could not account, and which for that reason was all the more dominant within him” (Wilde 48).

  I used my paperback version of the book for my page numbers. You will either use your own hard copy or the eBook version and the page numbers may differ.  The eBook version will have page numbers for you, so do not worry that there will not be any. The book I am using is a Dover Thrift Edition. The ISBN is listed in the syllabus.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

 

Step Two: Choose Research Topics and create a couple of Questions.

Directions: After completing your research log, reflect and choose two of your topics of interest and create two research questions about that topic. These will lead to your research proposal. Tip: Consider original topics and questions.

Research Topics and My Questions

Topic #1:

Research Question #1:

Research Question #2:

Topic #2:

Research Question #1:

Research Question #2:

 

Step Three: Create a Research Proposal: Narrow it all down to your ONE best topic/research question to create your research proposal.

Directions: Look at page 454 in BGCW for an example research proposal. Follow the example by providing:

  • background information on your topic.
  • a focused research question.
  • a summary of preliminary findings.
  • an answer to your research question.
  • a search plan, with a list of obstacles to finding sources.
  • a beginning working bibliography—start with A Picture of Dorian Gray and go from there.

Step Four: Create a Working Annotated Bibliography (based on your research from the library resources.)

An annotated bibliography is a list of sources with a summary or annotation for each entry. You should have a minimum of three sources other than the book. While you are comprising this list, it is important that you also continue to evaluate your sources for the following:

  • Are your sources relevant and credible?
  • Have you found enough sources to suggest sound answers to your research question?
  • Are your sources varied?
  • Are your sources appropriate?

BGCW: The Research Manual beginning on page 447 covers all aspects of the research process.

BGCW: The section for evaluating sources begins on page 473

BGCW: See about annotated bibliographies beginning on page 483

The 5 Ws + How method for evaluating sources

See the student example of an annotated bibliography at the end of this assignment sheet.

Step Five:  Writing the Research Essay:

Purpose

  • Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.
  • Develop ideas with appropriate support and attribution.
  • Write in style appropriate to audience and purpose.
  • Read, reflect, and respond critically to a variety of texts.
  • Use Edited American English in academic essays.

Skills: The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the essential skills that are vital to your success in this course and in professional life beyond school:

  • Find and locate main ideas, concepts, and patterns
  • Analyze and compare and contrast ideas, concepts, or patterns
  • Articulate and evaluate the ideas
  • Use sources to support your points as well as collaborate and join the conversation
  • Appropriately attribute sources to avoid plagiarism

Knowledge: This assignment will also help you become familiar with the following relevant content knowledge in this discipline:

  • Including support and attribution for quotes or paraphrases used in your writing (SLO 2)
  • Interpreting, identifying, and incorporating audience and purpose in your writing (SLO 3)
  • Incorporating elements of style with compare and contrast, description, persuasion, etc. in your writing (SLO 1)
  • Incorporating analysis and critical thinking by discussing sources in your writing (SLO 4)
  • Recognizing and correcting grammar and punctuation errors through revision strategies (SLO 5)

A few tips:

  • Do not wait until the last minute! 😊!!
  • Read and review “A Writer’s Research Manual” pp 447-556 for everything about authoring a research paper.
  • You may also use Scribbr for additional help with MLA and drafting a research paper 😊
  • REQUIRED: Visit the SAC Writing Center to get help with your

writing: https://www.alamo.edu/sac/wctr/ This is a requirement of the course! Check the course calendar, you will see that you have all of week 14 and half of week 15 to get this done. I recommend you make your appointments WELL IN ADVANCE of those dates. The writing center slots fill up quickly.

Criteria for Success

    1. This paper should be 5-8 pages long
    2. The paper should follow the organizational structure provided above.
    3. You should have a thesis that identifies what your research is and what precisely your purpose will be (compare/contrast, persuasive, problem/solution, cause/effect. etc..)
    4. After your introduction, make sure your paragraphs include topic sentences, evidence, and explanations, or synthesis of ideas.
    5. You should include at least four sources, including at least three from the library database, one of which is a peer-reviewed academic journal article. The 4th source is the novel itself, of course. The other two sources should also be from one of the library databases. If you find something you want to use that is from a Google search, make sure it is a reputable source from a credible site. Follow the 5 Ws located on the library libguide page for our class.
    6. Make sure to include MLA citations for your quotes/paraphrases from any copied source and include a source citation on your Works Cited page.
    7. Make sure you visit the Writing Center for help!
    8. Ask for help!

For this Research Final Draft, you will:

  1. Upload your Final Draft
    1. A final completed version of your essay in paragraph form
    2. Revision and editing from peer comments, professor, and SAC Writing center completed

See below for a student example of an annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography is a list of sources with a succinct summary (or annotation) for each entry. This shows your mastery of two major research skills:  identifying a source and writing a summary.

Mark Powell

Professor Koehler

English 1301

13 November 2022

Annotated Bibliography

Research Topic: Research Proposal: The Psychology of Sports Athletes and The Fans that Support Them.

Research Question: Ignoring fame, money, and recognition, what is the true behavioral component that drives an athlete on any given level to play sports? What is the behavioral component that causes a fan to become so engrossed in the athletes they support?

 

Garcia-Falgueras, Alicia, “Psychological Benefits of Sports and Physical Activities.”

22 November 2015, BJESBS, 11(4): 1-7, 2015; Article no. BJESBS.21865, ISSN:2278-0998

I chose this source because as I endeavor further into this investigation, this article has provided a wealth of information on the psychological benefits of physical exercise that we see professional sports players engage in. The article does not limit its analytics to professional-level sports. The article provides insight into the basic composition of an athlete on any given level. The transformation of the body and mind is addressed in this article, thus the information provided will support the research of the psychological and behavioral components of an athlete. It dives into the brain chemicals that are produced and the function they serve. As the article addresses the psychological benefits of sports and physical activities it can be related to the behavioral component of fans. What happens after most football games are watched on television? Fans of all ages take to the streets and emulate what they watched during the game. The same research in the article can also be used on the fan level for insight purposes.

Kauweloa, Nyle Sky, Winter, Jennifer Sunrise, “Taking College Esports Seriously.”

15 October 2019, https://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/view/236/249

I chose to start with this article because it illustrates the following ideals. While collegiate esports are growing, there are very few colleges currently offering these programs. Thus, the athletes in these programs are not paid, nor given the level of recognition of a professional sports player or even a college football player. However, the article illustrates the great mental endurance of the athletes and touches on behaviors often associated with competitive gaming. The article touches on the level of pride the players feel and exhibit in their chosen sport. The article addresses the adversities surrounding public opinion of whether esports is an actual form of sport or not. The athletes in this article show pride in their determination in gaming because they each want to be ranked in the upper echelon of players. Thus, they form their own elite team to achieve their individual and team goals with this. This article further supports the drive of an athlete in the absence of fame and fortune.

Roosevelt, Theodoor, “29. Proper Place For Sports.” White House, 4 October 1903

https://www.bartleby.com/53/29.html Accessed 28 October 2022

I chose this source because at some point I will be relating the classic belief of “pride in a man's work” to the pride exhibited by athletes today. Roosevelt’s article provides what I believe is a classic look into the level of pride that was exhibited during that era, yet it came absent of fame, fortune, and recognition. Roosevelt addresses the pride he exhibited in playing sports but issues a degree of humility in the following sentence. Which lends more to the behavioral characteristics of an athlete. He addresses momentarily that character counts more than intellect and winning. Absent the play of the game or the desire to win the game, Roosevelt’s thought can be analyzed as a remark of pride and humility.

Off-campus access

Library databases require a login from off-campus!

  • ACES username is required for login
  • ACES password is your password for login

What does the login page look like?

 

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