Overview

Featuring an engaging, direct writing style and inquiry-based approach, this popular research guide stresses that curiosity is the best reason for investigating ideas and information.   An appealing alternative to traditional research texts, The Curious Researcher stands apart for its motivational tone, its conversational style, and its conviction that research writing can be full of rewarding discoveries. Offering a wide variety of examples from student and professional writers, this popular guide shows that good research and lively writing do not have to be mutually exclusive. Students are encouraged to find ways to bring their writing to life, even though they are writing with “facts.” A unique chronological organization sets up achievable writing goals while it provides week-by-week guidance through the research process. Full explanations of the technical aspects of writing and documenting source-based papers help students develop sound research and analysis skills. The text also includes up-to-date coverage of MLA and APA styles.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bruce Ballenger
Publisher:   Pearson Education (US)
Imprint:   Pearson
Edition:   7th edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.40cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.410kg
ISBN:  

9780205172870

ISBN 10:   0205172873
Pages:   384
Publication Date:   19 September 2011
Audience:   Adult education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Further / Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Replaced By:   9780321992963
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   In Print  
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Rethinking the research paper Learning and unlearning Using this book The exercises The five-week plan Alternatives to the five-week plan The research paper versus the research report Discovering your purpose How formal should it be? The question is you Thinking like an academic writer A method of discovery Firing on four cylinders of information Facts don't kill Creative research papers? Chapter 1: The First Week The importance of getting curious Getting the pot boiling Other ways to find a topic What is a good topic? Where's Waldo and the organizing power of questions Making the most of an assigned topic Developing a working knowledge Case study on developing working knowledge: Theories of dog training Research strategies for developing working knowledge Using Zotero to manage your research The reference librarian: A living source Narrowing the subject Circling the lighthouse From landscape shots to close-ups Crafting your opening inquiry question Possible purposes for a research assignment Reading for research Reading rhetorically Reading like an outsider Chapter 2: The Second Week Developing a research strategy Google vs. the library A complementary research strategy Find enough information by using the best search terms Index searches using the Library of Congress subject headings Keyword searching in library databases Keyword searches on the world wide web Find varied sources Primary vs. secondary sources Objective vs. subjective Stable or unstable? Find quality sources When was it published? Why journal articles are better than magazine articles Look for often-cited authors Not all books are alike Evaluating online sources A key to evaluating Internet sources Developing focused knowledge What about a thesis? Suspending judgment? Testing assumptions? What are you arguing? Searching library databases for books and articles Keeping track of what you find: Developing a bibliography Finding Books Understanding call numbers* Coming up empty-handed? Checking bibliographies Interlibrary loan Article databases Saving search results Advanced Internet research techniques Types of search engines Living sources: Interviews and surveys Arranging interviews Finding experts Finding nonexperts affected by your topic Making contact Conducting interviews Whom to interview What questions to ask During the interview Notetaking The e-mail interview Finding people on the Internet Making contact by e-mail The discussion board and listserv interview Planning informal surveys Defining goals and audience Types of questions Survey design Avoid loaded questions Avoid vague questions Drawbacks of open-ended questions Designing your multiple choice questions Using continuum questions Conducting surveys Telephone surveys In person surveys The Internet survey Fieldwork: Research on what you see and hear Preparing for fieldwork Notetaking strategies Using what you see and hear Chapter 3: The Third Week Writing in the middle Becoming an activist notetaker Plagiarism: What it is, why it matters, and how to avoid it I read what you said and borrowed it, okay? Why plagiarism matters Making information your own: Quotation, paraphrase, and summary Paraphrasing Summarizing Quoting Notetaking What? I Failed by Thomas Lord Notetaking techniques The double-entry journal The research log Narrative notetaking Online research notebooks When you're coming up short: More advanced searching techniques Advanced library searching techniques Advanced Internet search techniques Thinking outside the box: Alternative sources Chapter 4: The Fourth Week Getting to the draft Exploration or argument? S.O.F.T. Organizing the draft Delayed thesis structure Question-claim structure Exploring or arguing: An example Preparing to write the draft Refining the question Refining the thesis Deciding whether to say I Getting personal without being personal Starting to write the draft: Beginning at the beginning Flashlights or floodlights? Writing multiple leads Writing for reader interest Working the common ground Topics for which common ground is hard to find Putting people on the page Using case studies Using interviews Writing a strong ending Endings to avoid Using surprise Writing with sources Blending kinds of writing and sources Handling quotes Quick tips for controlling quotations Grafting quotes Sandwiching quotes Billboarding quotes Splicing quotes Handling interview material Trusting your memory Citing sources Driving through the first draft Chapter 5: The Fifth Week Revising is re-seeing (or breaking up is hard to do) Global revision: Revising for purpose, thesis, and structure Writer- to reader-based prose Is it organized around a clear purpose? Does it establish significance? Does it say one thing? Using a reader Reviewing the structure Using your thesis to revise Examining the wreckage Other ways of reviewing the structure Re-researching Finding quick facts Local revision: Revising for language Listening to voice Avoid sounding glib Tightening seams between what you say and what they say Verbal gestures Scrutinizing paragraphs Is each paragraph unified? Scrutinizing sentences Using active voice Using strong verbs Varying sentence length Editing for simplicity Avoiding stock phrases Preparing the final manuscript Considering a reader-friendly design Using images Following MLA conventions Proofreading your paper Proofreading on a computer Looking closely Ten common mistakes in research papers Using the find or search function Avoiding sexist language Looking back and moving on Appendix A: Guide to MLA Styles. Appendix B: Guide to APA Style. Appendix C: Understanding Research Assignments Index.

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