Week 06 Instructions: Conducting Research

• Time Required
• 5–6 hours, including reading time

This module focuses on the research you will conduct for your Recommendation Report. The information includes both primary research and secondary research. By the end of the module, you should have chosen specific secondary resources and sketched out a plan for your primary research.

As always, remember to check the “Canvas Announcements & Course Advice” on the Course Home. The posts show up in the Twitter feed for @HokieTengrrl Links to an external site., which you will find on the course home in Canvas under the heading. If you read them and watch the related videos, be sure to note the time in your Weekly Work Log.

 

Objectives for this Week

By completing this week’s activities, you address the following course objectives:

• Analyze the rhetorical situation and determine the appropriate audience or users of written communication, considering the needs of global audiences and people with disabilities. [CLO 1]
• Conduct research appropriate to workplace problem solving, such as literature review, evaluation of online resources, interview, and site inspection. [CLO 2]

 

Activities for this Week

🛌Spring Break Day: Thursday, February 25

• I want you to take a break from this class this week. Please be sure to take some time off. Take a nap. Take several.
• Because of the short work week, you will earn only 50 points, rather than the typical 60 points.
• Notice these changes to make the week a little lighter:
  • There are no Feedback Discussion activities.
  • There are a lot of documents to read, but they relate directly to the writing you will do.
  • The writing involves completing online forms.
• Dates are different as well:
  • The university has asked not to have work due in the day after a Spring Break Day, but the work in this course is always due on Fridays.
  • To lighten your load, the grace period for this week’s work is extended to Friday, March 5. Note however that you will have the work for Week 7 to do next week as well.
• I will take Thursday off as well. Look for responses to any email or Canvas messages that you send me Friday afternoon or Saturday morning..

📚 To Read This Week

• Detailed Sequence of Projects (webpage)
• Recommendation Report Criteria (webpage)
• Markel & Selber, Ch. 6: “Researching Your Subject”
• Appendix Part A of Markel & Selber, “Skimming Your Sources and Taking Notes”
• Appendix Part B of Markel & Selber, “Documenting Your Sources”
• Why Use Documentation? (webpage)
• What Do I Need to Document? (webpage)
• Documentation and Citations for Your Projects (webpage)
• How We Cite, Video from UNC Writing Center

📝 To Write This Week

• Complete the Finding Secondary Resources in Your Field  activity to determine where to look for supporting evidence by other writers and researchers.
• Decide on what data to gather yourself by Making a Primary Research Plan. 

💬 To Discuss This Week

• No Discussing work since we have a Spring Break day.

📓 To Track This Week

• Track and reflect on the work you have done for the week in your Work Log for the Week of 02/22, reviewing the Weekly Work Log Guidelines if needed.
• Complete the Week of 02/22 Self-Assessment to claim the points for the work you have done this week. You have an unlimited number of times to complete the self-assessment. Your points will be recorded automatically when you submit your quiz.

 

Image Credit: All She’s Armed With Is Research. by Markus Binzegger on Flickr Links to an external site., used under a CC-BY 2.0 license.