Goal: Exercise 9 allows students to spend time formally engaged in brainstorming the broad research topic. Generating and identifying a variety of specific topic ideas from the broader subject push students to focus on a single idea or to combine several ideas to create a more interesting topic.
Description: Students will select a general topic. In the center of a large piece of paper, stu- dents will write their topic word or phrase. They will then write any and all words or phrases they can think of that relate to the central word or phrase. Using boxes, lines, and arrows, students will connect or group ideas that go together, relate to each other, or are subgroups. Students will then select the groups or combinations that have the most appeal for further research.
Tips for conducting the exercise:For this exer- cise, students may use a variety of marking tools.
Pencils with good erasers, colored pencils, felt markers, or crayons work well. Some students have used Post-it notes to jot down initial ideas and then moved the notes around to develop their maps. Each student will need a large size sheet of newsprint paper. There are also computerized soft- ware packages that allow concept mapping.
This exercise addresses Standard 1, Part 1.
Figure 2-1 is an example of a concept map on the topic “vegetarianism.”
Students are generally open-minded and willing to stretch their minds during the concept-mapping process. After the process, students should have a target topic, a small number of subtopics, and an interest in pursuing an area of inquiry.
Beginning researchers often skip steps that will actually save them time in the long run. One step that can help students prepare to write an effective research question is to consider the disci- plines or subject areas that are likely to include their topic of choice. For example, if the topic is
“Child Labor and the Silk Trade,” all three disci- plines of humanities, social sciences, and science are likely to consider some aspect of this topic.
E X E R C I S E 8
Using Encyclopedias in Research Worksheet
This exercise asks you to find general background information on your subject and language and terminology that will expand your ability to design an appropriate and effective research question.
What is your proposed Paper Trail project topic idea?
Using the Key Word search method demonstrated in class, identify and locate both a general encyclopedia and a subject-specific encyclopedia about your topic.
Which type of encyclopedia is more beneficial? Why?
What is the title of the encyclopedia you chose for this assignment?
What is the title of the article you read?
Who is the author of the article? (Is she or he named?) What volume is the article in?
What year was the volume published?
Write down the call number from the spine of the volume.
Read the article, taking note of what is covered within it.
List at least five words or phrases that you think constitute terminology specific to the topic you are researching.
Take notes about major ideas offered in the article.
Look for names of other authors and their credentials for further research tools.
Make note of any listed books, bibliographies, or suggested readings.
E X E R C I S E 9
Concept Mapping
Most people do not think in a linear style when they are working creatively. We think by linking groups of ideas together, “webbing” or “linking” a path to the final subject and topic idea. You will be joining all that you already know with what you learn during your research to build a more complete landscape of the topic you are working on.
Concept mapping helps you create a visual design, picture, or diagram, of the thinking you are engaged in so you can reflect, sort, and refocus the ideas easily. Use this concept mapping exer- cise to allow your brain to “free-think” along the way to the development of a research question.
P H A S E I — B R A I N S T O R M I N G I N S T R U C T I O N S
In the center of the newsprint sheet, write down the most important word, short phrase, or symbol that relates to the subject idea you want to research. Draw a circle around this main idea.
Take a minute or two and think about what you put down on the paper.
Thinking freely, without any expectation of the result, write or mark any and all related words, concepts, or symbols outside the circle. Write anything you can think of that is even remotely related to the topic idea.
Now draw squares around single ideas and circles around groups of ideas.
Use lines to connect these items to the main idea and to groups of related ideas.
Use arrows to interconnect ideas or to form subgroups of ideas.
Leave lots of white space so your concept map has room to grow and develop.
Don’t worry about being exact or perfect––don’t analyze the work!
P H A S E I I — E D I T I N G O R R E F O C U S I N G Think about the relationship of “outside-the-circle” items to the center item.
Erase and replace or shorten words to some key ideas.
Relocate important items closer to each other for better organization.
Link symbols with words to clarify relationships.
What are you thinking about now? How is your topic developing?
Now proceed to topic analysis to further develop your research question!
FIGURE 2-1 Concept Map