Helping Students Understand their Role in the Research

Helping Students Understand their Role in the Research Process Christina Connor, M. A. , M. S. I. S. Faculty Development Day Ramapo College of NJ March 9, 2016

What do we want from our students? • Properly evaluate the information they use • Incorporate authoritative information • Understand research limitations We want our students to be college-level researchers!

Today • Cover three areas: • Evaluation • Incorporation • Limitation • Structure: • (FOR EACH) Provide overview of common student mistakes, a suggestion on dealing with mistakes, followed by group discussion

Evaluation • Typically only conduct a basic evaluation of sources • Author • Publication date • Type of source • Overly trusting on sources • Blinders to red-flag issues with sources

NOTHING TO SEE HERE What students see:

What? What students NEED to see and ask: Who?

Evaluation • Need students to take off the rose-colored glasses • Advanced evaluation • Place source in context of the time • Address any biases within the source • Comparison of source to other sources

Suggestions to Evaluation • Practice evaluating sources in class • News sources • Ask students: What is the journalist using for sources? How is the argument presented?

Brad Knickerbocker Staff, writer. "What happens if Hillary Clinton doesn't run? Chaos for Democrats. " Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2015. , N. PAG, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2016).

Suggestions to Evaluation • Practice evaluating sources in class • News sources • Ask students: What is the journalist using for sources? How is the argument presented? • Academic journals • Ask students: How does the author present their research? What are the main points of the argument?

Ming-Chiu Wong, Steven, and Yap Foong Ha. "Did Obamacare create new jobs? " – An analysis of Mitt Romney's use of rhetorical questions in the 2012 US presidential election campaign. " Text & Talk 35, no. 5 (September 2015): 643 -668. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 7, 2016).

Let’s discuss! • What are some tricks you use to help students better evaluate information in their research?

From Authority to Synthesis • Authority does not mean the source is right for the research • Students need to understand sources have a purpose in the paper/project

Incorporation • Common mistakes • Over generalization • Seeing requirements as part of a checklist • Cherry-picking information

Incorporation • Correcting the mistakes • Sources need to communicate with each other, not just sit next to each other • Encourage students to play moderator between sources • Help students understand that sources play a role in their paper

Suggestions to Incorporation • Annotated Bibliographies • First layer: Summary of the source • Second layer: Evaluation of the text • Third layer*: Reflection on its applicability to the student’s research

OWL @ Purdue Example for Annotated Bibliography Summary Evaluation Reflection

Suggestions to Incorporation • Annotated Bibliographies • First layer: Summary of the source • Second layer: Evaluation of the text • Third layer*: Reflection on its applicability to the student’s research • Limiting source citations • Over reliance on one source

Let’s discuss! • What are some tricks you use to help students better integrate information into their research?

Limitations • Internet gives the impression all topics have sources • Some topics require more investment then students realize • Timing is everything

Limitations • Drawbacks to providing students with a topic • Little to no investment in process • Limits curiosity • Makes research process reactive instead of proactive

Suggestions to Limitations • Getting students thinking about appropriate topics • Possible exercise: Provide themes pared with an “inappropriate” thesis. Have students construct a better thesis using theme and original thesis as guides. • When a student has a topic which may have research limitations, help them construct something better with a connection to original idea.

Let’s discuss! • What are some tricks you use to help students construct appropriate research topics?

Additional Thoughts • Students need to feel connected to the research they conduct – even if it’s a topic outside their major. • Encourage students to explore topics that will make them excited in the research process • To be college researchers, students need to take a more proactive and less passive approach to the process.

Questions? Comments? • Christina Connor, M. A. , M. S. I. S. • George T. Potter Library • cconnor@ramapo. edu • 201 -684 -7581 Thank you!