Reading Homework

1.

What qualities define a good research source?

Defi ne and articulate a research question (formulate a research hypothesis).

How to Write a Thesis Statement (Indiana University)

2.
Identify possible sources of information in many types and formats.
Georgetown University Library's Guides to Resources by Subject
3.
Judge the scope of the project.
4.

Reevaluate the research question based on the nature and extent of

information available and the parameters of the research project.

5.

Select the most appropriate investigative methods (surveys,

interviews, experiments) and research tools (periodical indexes, databases,

websites).
6.
Plan the research project.

2.What makes a source reliable?

The Internet contains some extremely valuable, high-quality information sources
and it also contains some very unreliable, biased sources of misinformation. That is
its nature; anyone who can manage to finagle some webspace can post a website.
That puts a higher burden on you as a researcher to evaluate the quality of each
website you use, whether its for a class assignment or your personal use.
Sometimes Internet sources can be more accurate than print sources. Sometimes it
is better to stick with print sources. Different courses may require research of
different levels of academic rigor. This tutorial is designed as a guide to help you
evaluate whether a particular Internet site is appropriate for your purposes

3.Define primary and secondary sources.

Primary source: is an original object or document the raw material or first-hand
information.
Secondary source: is something written about a primary source.

Grammar:
When should a block quotation be used?
A block quotation is an extract consisting of more than 40 words from another authors work.
Block quotations should be used in moderation, typically when using another writers words is a
more effective way of illustrating an idea. Avoid using block quotations excessively as this
practice gives the reader the impression that you are inexperienced in the subject or are simply
filling pages to meet a word count requirement.

How should a block quotation be formatted?

While a short quotation is enclosed in quotation marks and integrated into the surrounding
paragraph, a block quotation is an independent paragraph that is indented five spaces from the
left margin. This type of quotation should be double-spaced like the rest of the paper, but it
should not be enclosed in quotation marks. In a block quotation, the parenthetical in-text citation
should follow directly after the end punctuation of the final sentence. Note the placement order of
the quotation marks, parentheses, and period.

Let's look at two examples:

One researcher outlines the viewpoints of both parties:

Freedom of research is undoubtedly a cherished ideal in our society. In that respect
research has an interest in being free, independent and unrestricted. Such interests
weigh against regulations. On the other hand, research should also be valid, verifiable,
and unbiased, to attain the overarching goal of gaining obtaining [sic] generalisable
knowledge. (Simonsen, 2012, p. 46) [1]

Note that although the block quotation is formatted as a separate block of text, it is preceded by
an introductory phrase or sentence(s) followed by a colon. If the authors name and the year of
publication appear in the introductory sentence, the parenthetical in-text citation at the end of the
paragraph should simply include the page number(s) of the original text, as shown in this
example:

Simonsen (2012) outlines the two opposing viewpoints:

Freedom of research is undoubtedly a cherished ideal in our society. In that respect
research has an interest in being free, independent and unrestricted. Such interests
weigh against regulations. On the other hand, research should also be valid, verifiable,
and unbiased, to attain the overarching goal of gaining obtaining [sic] generalisable
knowledge. (p. 46)