Research Journal

Research Journal

Assignment: A research journal is a place for you to keep track of the research you are conducting, reading, and thinking about in connection to your selected topic. The purpose of the research journal is to:

1.  Deepen your understanding of the topic and the “conversation” that surrounds it as you proceed through researching sources.

2.  Evaluate how reliable each source is, depending on its rhetorical situation.

3.  Enter into an ongoing conversation or debate about your selected topic.

4.  Practice APA citation style.

Audience: The audience of your research journal is primarily you, because it can serve as a tool throughout the rest of your research and writing this semester. In addition, you should also consider your instructor’s expectations for this assignment.

Requirements:

·  A title page in APA format that includes your name and course/section number

·  Minimum of ten (10) research journal entries

·  A minimum of five (5) sources in your research journal must come from books, book chapters, or scholarly journal articles.

·  Each entry should:

o  be one (1) full page, double-spaced

o  12-point, Times New Roman or Cambria font

o  one-inch margins on all sides

o  include a correct APA reference entry for the source being discussed

o  include your analysis of the source (see guiding questions below)

Format of the Research Journal: (see sample) Each entry should be typed on its own page. Begin each entry by identifying the source in correct APA citation style. Follow the source entry with your analysis of the source.

Consider the following questions in your analysis of each source, but keep in mind that not all questions will be pertinent to each source.

Evaluating Content

·  What type of source is this?

o  journal article, book, book chapter, magazine article, newspaper or news source article, web article, video, podcast

·  What did you learn from this source? Try to sum this up in one sentence.

·  What is the thesis or claim of this source?

·  Is this source intended as an argument?

·  Is there a perspective or slant you can identify?

·  How does the source acknowledge opposing/alternative viewpoint(s)?

·  Are there sources cited in this source that you would find useful? That you would distrust?

Evaluating Rhetorical Situation

·  Who is the author and what is his/her expertise in the subject?

·  What do you think is the motive or purpose of the author(s)?

·  How does the author acknowledge the context of this subject?

·  Who do you think is the intended readership/audience for this source?

o  How does that affect its content and language?

·  How does/do the author(s) use rhetorical appeals in this source?

o  Ethos

o  Pathos

o  Logos

Grade: The research journal is worth 10% of your final English 1302 course grade.