Cagle 102 Research Blog: August 2011

Bunch o' Info!

I made so many announcements today! Here's a recap:

Please give me a clean printed copy of your Project 3 (annotated bibliography). Steven the Librarian and I will both be very grateful.
Get some blue books! Final's on Friday; you may need two books. Pick 'em up for free at the Student Union.
Tomorrow, I'll ask you guys to share the most helpful bit of info/advice/criticism you got out of peer review. Think of something to share!
Tomorrow's also the last day you'll be able to ask me paper questions in person. Get your questions ready!

That should cover it.

Oh, yeah, and send me drafts today if you'd like comments/revision suggestions. I can't promise I'll get to them tomorrow (thus the 24-hr rule on the syllabus).

Project 4 Peer Review

The BIG Stuff

How clear is the thesis? How debatable is it? Does it make a positive claim?
Does the thesis accurately preview the paper? Are any parts of the paper not a clear fit with the thesis?
Can you follow the argument clearly from start to finish? Does the paper's organization help you understand the necessary background information? Does the paper build up the argument and evidence persuasively?
Does everything in the draft lead to or follow from one central thesis? If not, which ideas appear to be out of place?
Are the claims backed up with evidence? Is the evidence appropriate? Is it sufficient? Does any evidence need further explanation or context?
If there's an image, does the text explain it? Does it help you understand the argument or illustrate an important point?
What's the absolute awesomest thing about this paper? What do you think could use the most improvement?

The Pickier Stuff

Does the writer provide necessary background information about the source, including author and/or title for sources?
Throughout the essay, when referring to sources, does the writer supply necessary documentation?
Are there clear transitions or connectives that connect the writer’s own ideas to those of sources?
Are there transitions between paragraphs? How smooth are they?
Is the organizational plan or form appropriate for this kind of paper? If not, can you suggest another format?
Does the writer open the paper in a way that catches the reader’s attention?
Does the conclusion amply restate the main idea? Does it offer new insights? Are the new insights too much for a conclusion?
Do the sentences flow? Is there a variety of lengths of sentences?
Is the word choice effective? Are the same words used to begin and end sentences? Are there positive or negative words or phrases that will make an impression on the reader?

Finally...

What 2 things most need improving about the paper?
What did you like most about the paper?

I'm having a hard time grasping the extent of the London riots. It's London, after all. Certainly the city has deep-rooted social issues, but I still find the images of fires, looting, and violence to be completely surreal.

Imagine this scene around UNLV. It just seems so unlikely.

There's a connection to our class, too, in the stern rhetoric being used by British officials to discuss the situation. Even as they condemn the rioters, something about their rhetoric feels less inflammatory than what we might see on this side of the ocean. Maybe it's the quote about "fancying a new pair of trainers."

...and Week 5 Begins!

I do hope everyone's had a productive and not too stressful weekend!

Just a quick overview/reminder of what's left to do this week:

Monday: You're bringing in a Project 4 draft and will be going over it with a class-mate, who'll act as your first reader.
Tuesday: Bring in a draft of Project 4 with any revisions you needed to make after yesterday's peer review.
Wednesday: Last day before the paper's due, so last chance to talk to me in person about any questions or concerns you have. We'll also be sharing some of the common issues that have cropped up in peer review, so be ready to talk about whatever you've corrected, noticed, praised, etc.
Thursday: After collecting your Project 4 (It's done now!), I'll tell you all about the final. Assignment: For class, be sure to have read the Timed Writing Appendix in your textbook.
Friday: The final!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this week, or if there are any topics you'd like to cover.

I Wouldn't Lie to You...

See!

NY Times Vending Machine Story

Homework due 8/4

Today in class we discussed arguments in terms of claims, reasons, evidence, etc.

Your assignment is to start prewriting your paper by writing out 3 claims you will make and adding the reasons, evidence, or appeals you will use to support them. By prewriting in this way, you will have a bank of your own writing to draw from when you draft your paper.

I won't be collecting this homework, but that doesn't make it a free pass to not do it. By writing out claims, you'll start to recognize trouble spots that we can address before you have to produce a final paper. Trust me, this step in the process is to your benefit.

In-Class Reading 8/2

Here's the article we're reading in class today to discuss. A quick preview:

The article's long, but bear with me. I hope it's really interesting, and not just English-teacher interesting. I've been known to mistakenly assume that articles about gene-spliced seeds and organic farmers will be fascinating to the average person.

Research Woes

If you're still having any troubles with your research, don't forget about Steven the Librarian. Even if you don't need to contact him directly, the site he made for us (linked here) lists a couple more databases and has instructions on how to do various library/internety things.

Homework due 8/3

Oh my, the home stretch! Time to flex your pens (ok, so maybe that saying doesn't work...) and start filling up some pages with ink!

Don't worry, though. We'll start off slow.

For tomorrow, just...
Write an introduction for your final research paper. Incorporate a refined version of your working thesis. Remember, your introduction might be more than just one paragraph. If it takes you two-ish paragraphs to work up to the thesis, that's a-ok!

To get some ideas of how to go about writing the introduction, check pp. 109-112 of your textbook.

Peer Review!

Critical Annotated Bibliography: Peer Review Sheet

The Basics—Circle ‘y’ for ‘yes’ and ‘n’ for ‘no.’ Make explanatory notes if necessary.

1. Is there a header with both name and page #? y n

2. Does the heading have all 4 required lines in the correct order? y n

3. Is the title correctly formatted (“Annotated Bibliography: Topic”)? y n

4. Is the intro at least 1 full page? y n

5. Is the text (intro and entries) double-spaced? y n

6. Is the font 12-point Times New Roman or comparable? y n

7. Are the margins 1” wide on either side? y n

8. Are there 8 bibliographic entries? y n

9. Are all 8 bibliographic entries scholarly sources? y n

10. Are bibliographic entries correctly indented (hanging indent of ½”)? y n

11. Are the bibliographic entries alphabetized? y n

The Intro

1. Does the introduction hook you? If so, how? If not, what could be used as a hook?

2. How well does the thesis meet our five criteria? How could it be improved? Make specific suggestions.

3. How does the author make clear why this topic is worth researching? How? How could the author make it clearer?

4. Does the intro provide a plan for how the research will be incorporated into the final paper? Does this plan sound doable and effective (e.g. is it too ambitious, not ambitious enough, will it provide enough background, will the organization build the argument effectively)?

5. Does the intro explain how the author will address opposing viewpoints?

6. Does the high-level organization of the introduction make sense? Use the sentence outlining technique to help explain why or why not.

7. Does the sentence-level organization of the introduction make sense? Use the hook-and-eye technique to help explain why or why not.

The Bibliographic Entries—For each bibliographic entry: 1) Circle ‘y’ or ‘n’ to note if the MLA citation is correct and if the entry includes all 3 parts (summary, evaluation, and consideration of how the source will be used). 2) Jot down a brief evaluation of the entry. Does it fit in with the paper overview provided by the intro? Is there too much or too little of any of the 3 parts? Is it well-written? What could be done to improve it?