King Abdul Aziz University Faculty Of Computing Information

King Abdul. Aziz University Faculty Of Computing & Information Technology Research Paper and preparation sheets 2010 (Semester 1 ) CPIT 221 I. Samar Al-Taher I. Aula Al- Shagran 1

Formulate the basic question for your research Essential step • Choose one of the interpretive questions to be your basic research question and write cascades of "WH-questions? “ for your research question • • 2 Step Before you can begin to gather information, organize it and begin writing, you need to decide what the Basic research question means, by 'unpacking' it. The following suggestions can help you do this: – Identify the instruction – Identify key aspects of the topic – Look for other significant words which define the context / limit the scope of the essay Example 1: – "What is the future for Electric and Hybrid Electric vehicles if their development continues at current rate ? " – Question type: Prediction. – Instruction: • "What is " = what is your informed opinion? / discuss – Key aspects ( )ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ : • "Electric vehicles" / "Hybrid electric vehicles " – Significant words (limitation) ( )ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻬﺎﺓ : • "the future"

Formulate the basic question for your research (cont. ) • Example 2: – "What are the technical and ethical aspects of maintaining privacy on the internet? " – Question type: Problem-Solution. – Instruction: • "What are" = evaluate, responses / solutions to problem – Key aspects ( )ﺍﻟﺴﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺮﺋﻴﺴﻴﺔ : • Situation = "on the internet" • Problem = " maintaining privacy" – Significant words (limitation) ( )ﺍﻟﻜﻠﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻬﺎﺓ : • "technical and ethical aspects" 3

Formulate the basic question for your research (cont. ) 4

Assignment Sheet (1) Creating subtopic Heading (Planning Your Research) • Once you have chosen and begun to focus a topic for your research project, you will save a lot of time and avoid confusion by planning out the rest of your research in order to know exactly what kinds of information you will need to find. Working through the following steps will help you do this planning. • • Step (1) • Write down your Initial Statement of Purpose here: • We will use the following Statement of Purpose as an example for the rest of this process: • Example (Statement of Purpose): • Find out about the clean-up of the water pollution in the Delaware River. 5

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 1) • • Step (2) Use factual questions, basic research question, and research question’s cascading of (WH-questions? ) Think of 5 -10 questions that you will probably need to answer about this topic in your paper. It will help to use the words who, what, when, where, why, how, what if, and will to start your questions. Use a full phrase for each question. First, look at the examples below. Then write down your own in the blank spaces on the next page. Example: ________1. When did the Delaware River clean-up start? ________2. When will the Delaware River clean-up be finished? ________3. What caused the pollution in the first place? ________4. How does the pollution affect the river’s plants and animals? ________5. Who is in charge of the clean-up? ________6. How is the clean-up being done? ________7. Will people be able to safely swim in the river once it is clean? ________8. What kinds of diseases do people get from swimming in the river? ________9. Where is the clean-up being done? ________10. How much does the clean-up cost? Who pays for it? • • • 6

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 4) • Step (3) • Now you will begin to organize your questions into groups by labeling them with a grouping word. Grouping words will be different for each subject, but here are some general words you can try. You will probably also need to think of some of your own. • Causes Costs Location People • Effects Methods Training Future • History Equipment Conditions Responsibility • Using any of these or other grouping words you think of put a grouping word that makes sense on the short line to the left of each of your questions. First look at the example that follows, then go back to your questions and do it. 8

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 5) • • Example: History Future Causes Effects Responsibility Methods Future • Effects • • Location Costs • Now go and label your own questions with grouping words. If you are not sure, make a new one up. You can always change it later. Once you are done, go to Step 4. • Note: you can identify and choose some categories these questions fit into, and select words that label those categories. It helps to think of these words as part of a phrase that includes your general topic. Keep reading and this will become more clear. 9 1. When did the Delaware River Clean-upstart? 2. When will it be finished? 3. What caused the pollution in the first place? 4. How does the pollution affect the river’s plants and animals? 5. Who is in charge of the clean-up? 6. How is the clean-up being done? 7. Will people be able to safely swim in the river once it is clean? 8. What kinds of diseases do people get from swimming in the river? 9. Where is the clean-up being done? 10. How much does the clean-up cost? Who pays for it?

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 6) • Step (4) • Now you are ready to take all of the work you have done so far and turn it into a format that will eventually become in the outline (main or sub). You will take the grouping words that you have chosen and turn each of them into a phrase that includes your topic. • i. e. , turn those categorizing words into subtopic headings by linking them to your general topic which is Delaware River Pollution. • Example: • The category/ question: – “History 1. When did the Delaware River Clean-upstart? ” • History becomes History of the Delaware River clean-up • This phrase is now called a subtopic heading and will identify one section of your research project. You will do this with all of the grouping words you have chosen to use and write them on the centered lines below. Under each subtopic heading you will rewrite the questions that go along with those grouping words. You can also write down any other questions that come to mind under that subtopic heading. Number your questions under each subtopic heading. 10

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 7) • • Look at the example first. Then use the blank lines following it to do your own work. Example: • • • • History of the Delaware River clean-up 1. When did the Delaware River clean-up start? 2. Who started the Delaware River clean-up? (New question) 3. Why was the clean-up started? (New question) Future of the Delaware River after the clean-up 1. When will the clean-up be finished? 2. Will people be able to safely swim in the river once it is clean? Causes of Pollution in the Delaware River 1. What caused the pollution in the first place? 2. How long has the pollution been going on? (New question) Effects of pollution in the Delaware River 1. How does the pollution affect the Delaware River’s plants and animals? 2. Have any species of plants and animals died out? (New question) 3. Do different pollutants affect plants and animals differently? (New question) • • 11

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 8) • • • Responsibility for the Delaware River clean-up 1. Who is responsible for the clean-up? 2. Is the government responsible? (New question) 3. Do our taxes help pay for it? (New question) 4. Do businesses have to contribute to the costs if they caused the pollution? (New question) • • Methods of cleaning the pollution in the Delaware River 1. How is the clean-up being done? 2. Are machines being used? What kinds? (new question) 3. Are there biological methods used? (new question) Location of the Delaware River clean-up 1. Where is the clean-up being done? 2. Are there cleaning facilities all down the river? (new question) 3. Is the river more polluted at one place then another? (new question) Costs of the Delaware River clean-up 1. How much does the clean-up cost? 2. Who pays for it? • • 12

Creating subtopic Heading (cont. 9) • Now that you have seen the example, write out your own subtopic headings and questions on the lines below and on the next few pages. Don’t worry about putting the subtopic headings in any order yet. That may change a few times as you do your research and get more information. You discover new information. • Once you have completed writing out your own subtopic headings and questions, you can begin to look for sources of information to answer your questions. It is important that you keep track of source information and that you key your notes to your subtopic heading. For directions on how to do each of these, see the Research Tip Sheets called Making Source Cards and Taking Notes on Note cards 13