Alexis Mena

10/13/18
Activity #1: Preliminary Research Questions

One of the most important skills you will gain in this course is the ability to research. This skill,
for which you already have much practice, can become quite daunting. Remember, research
starts broad and becomes more focused as it continues, and you can expect some confusion in
the beginning as disparate and seemingly unrelated information pops up.

However, continuing the research will provide you with an understanding that no one else will
have. Once you understand the various positions that can be taken concerning your questions,
you can then decide which area seems most promising to research further.

Research questions are an initial step in the research process because they allow you to take a
closer, more specific look at your overall topic. The goal is to eventually focus your research on
a very specific aspect of your topic that you can work with in your next project, the Documentary
Film. Developing focused and unbiased questions at this stage in the process will help you get
there. Research questions take on two forms: the preliminary and the focused.

Preliminary Research Questions

The first type of research and research questions are preliminary and often very broad because
many of you do not yet know very much about your topics. This first set of preliminary research
questions is meant to help you develop an understanding of the topic and the important
conditions that exist within it. In your attempts to answer these basic research question you will
inevitably begin to discover more about your topics, which will then allow you to move on to the
second type of research questions, which will ultimately become the questions you will use in
your Literature Review.

Here are some examples of preliminary research questions:

• What is cyberbullying?
• How common is it?
• What are people doing about it?

As you can see, these questions are very big and very broad, but they will help you to
understand your topics better, which will in turn allow you to enter into the conversation with
more ethos, or credibility. Remember, the preliminary research questions are rarely the
research questions you will ask in your literature review. Instead, they are intended to help you
learn enough about your topic so that you know what questions/directions will best serve your
intent.

To develop more specific and meaningful questions, consider what questions experts have
about your topic as well as what other ask about it. For example, what questions would
psychologists, teenagers, parents, or school administrators have about cyber bulling?

You will also want to consider subtopics that will help you generate productive questions. For
example, what are the different causes of cyberbullying? Is cyberbullying the same as bullying
on the playground or in school? W hat laws deal with cyberbullying?
 Either on the discussion board of Blackboard or on a W ord Document, answer the following
questions:

1. What do I already know about this topic?

What I know about my topic, understanding and using different approaches in language, is still rather limited.
What I do know though is that this concept of language comes in many different forms, and some are harder to
“understand” than others. And as much as it seems to be burdensome hurdle that may not be able to be
overcome, is not as simple as that; and it may definitely be a lot more easy than what those who do not have a
“handicap” would assume.

2. W here did I get this information?

I acquired this knowledge through my own personal experiences as well as researching it though various means.
For instance, I read a few articles and research papers on the subject matter. I also watched various
autobiographical videos.

3. Why do I believe it – or – what is my bias?

I do believe that there is a certain complication, or challenge, that comes with having a sort of disabilities that
inhibits ones ability to communicate “language.” However, I would not really know because I am able to speak,
read, and hear language as it is conveyed to me.

4. What are the experts saying about this topic?

However, what experts are saying about this is that while it is a hurdle to overcome, it isn’t the hardest thing to
accomplish. It just requires a bit of dedication and support, but people are able to communicate language
regardless if they are deaf-blind.

5. What are others saying about this topic?

Other people talking about this topic are the people who have the disability themselves. So someone who is deaf
or blind discusses that while it is hard for them to communicate and that they are often alienated, they are able
to overcome the obstacles and learn and produce language.

6. What are the subtopics that develop an understanding of this topic?

Some subtopics that would develop an understanding of this topic probably speech pathology. Where it is the
speech-language expertise. Another would be teaching a foreign language.

7. What subtopic is most interesting to you?

I suppose the one that would be “most interesting” to me would more than likely be speech pathology. Just
because it correlates with the research rather closely.

8. What subtopic has been researched best?

In all honesty, I haven’t done much (or any) research on the subtopics. But in general, the one that
would probably be researched the best would have to be speech pathology. There’s a whole clinical
study on it.
 Activity #2: Defining Areas for Inquiry

The lit review questions guide the research you will conduct and are, therefore, one of the most
important aspects of the literature review. Generally there are two phases of research. The first
phase, which you have begun in Activity 1 requires that you learn about your topic in a general
way–-what it really means, what people say, how important people think about it, how old/new is
the issue, and so on, The second phase requires that you answer your literature review
questions.

This activity is designed to help you focus your topic and find the literature review questions that
will provide the most important information. The information you provide here is part of phase
one research but since there is no real line between the two phases, this information should
also lead you into phase two research. On a W ord Document or in the Discussion Board of
Blackboard, answer the following questions.

1. W hat is your topic: the relationship or object of interest with regard to how it informs
knowledge in your discipline?
What I am researching is how the barriers (such as being deaf or blind, or both) impacts a person
when they communicate and in what way I may be able to inform people so that they may have a
better understanding.
2. How did you come into this interest?
I came into this interest because my area of study is English and American Literate, so everything I
do literally revolves around language and I was curious as to how life would be for people where
language wasn’t the same like everyone else.
3. W ho does this matter to? List or trace as many as you can think of.
This matters to everyone is general, I believe. For people who have the ability to
read/write/speak/hear so they understand that life isn’t as simple for people who can’t do that.
And for the people with the disabilities because they may be able to see that people are trying to
understand.
4. Discuss the material and/or social controversies or relevant historical issues
surrounding the topic.
I believe one historical issue, if it even is an issue at all, has to do with Helen Keller and being faced
with not being able to see nor hear.
5. Why is your topic important and relevant in terms of disciplinary knowledge? Be specific.
My topic is important and relevant in terms of disciplinary knowledge because language is one of
the key elements of civilization, so it seems to make sense that understanding how language is
conveyed for people who are deaf/blind would be crucial in keeping language throughout for
everyone.
When you have finished answering these questions, the area with the most information is likely
to be the area where you will focus your topic. Any good topic is going to be TOO LARGE for
you to cover everything. Instead, you need to decide where you should begin your research by
looking at the information you have gathered in answering these questions.
Activity #3: Generating Research Questions for Approval

List your research questions here:

1. How is language conveyed differently to a certain group of people compared to others?

2. Are there any challenges to be faced, and if so, what does that mean for those people and
those around them?

3. Where would these challenges be faced the most, and how could that inhibit the progress
of language?

4. Does the barrier in language ever stop being a large challenge, or are those who have the
disability bothered by it no matter what?

Once you have created your initial questions, you must determine if the questions are
objective and unbiased.

Answer the following questions to review the effectiveness of your initial questions.

W ord choice: Does each question contain terminology that allows for an overall examination
of the topic? Or, does the word choice clearly identify and support only one side of the
topic? Explain your answers and revise your questions if necessary.

Research Viability: Does each question allow for a full examination of the issue, providing
you with ways to discover various factors, motives, results, etc.? If your research is not
about an outcome or end result, what will it be about?
Journal 7

For whatever reason, it has been oddly difficult to conjure up research questions for my

research topic within my academic discipline. It appears that while I understand what I am

supposed to be doing, actually going through process is a lot more hard than what I had

previously anticipated. However, I would hope that the questions that I do have are related to

knowing in my disciple. For instance, “Does the barrier in language ever stop being a large

challenge [for the individual], or are those who have the disability bothered by it no matter

what?” With this question, it can be argued that the knowledge of this question allows for

knowing the difficulties/eases of language communication of others in my discipline.

As of right now, I have mostly stayed to the bare minimum of what is required of me in

terms or research. I have not gone out of my realm of discipline in order to seek insight and gain

knowledge of my research topic. At least, I do not think. I might have done so by slightly

dipping into speech-pathology, but I believe that I have mostly stuck to what I do know. I believe

that I should exit my own realm and venture into others because my knowledge is really

inhibited, and I know I need to gain more knowledge and understanding of my research topic.

I can fathom that I do need other disciplinaries for my research topic. First and foremost,

speech pathology as it has been my secondary focus in previous statements. I also do believe I

would need to get a base understanding of a secondary language as well, such as American Sign

Language (ASL). And in some bizarre circumstance, I think philosophy can also prove pivotal

for my research topic and questions as well.