Research Description and Background Knowledge Project
RESEARCH AND WRITING
? Use Proquest and/or Summons to find THREE non-academic sources related to your topic. To qualify for this assignment, articles must be AT LEAST 300 words long and can be from the following types of sources:
o Newspapers
o Magazines
o Blogs
o Archives
? Read the three sources closely so that you are comfortable discussing the contents. Be prepared to report on your findings during class.
? Write a ONE page synopsis of your research process that answers the following questions:
o What is your topic?
o What did you learn about your topic from these background sources? Why do you find these particular pieces of information especially interesting?
o What are some questions you might explore in the research from here?
o What steps will you take to pursue these elements of your topic through further research from ACADEMIC sources? From NON-ACADEMIC SOURCES? What types of sources are you hoping to find to give you more insight into these ideas?
o Include the bibliographic citations.
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT:
? Wikipedia is NOT an acceptable source for this assignment, but you MAY review the sources and citations at the end of a Wikipedia article on your topic to see if you can track down any of the original articles listed there.
? These sources may be used in your final research paper, but they do not count towards the academic sources minimum. They are intended to give you background information on your topic to guide your search for ACADEMIC sources and for the questions that will guide your paper.