Presentation 3c

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Presentation 3c

• Field research

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• Field Research
• Field research is research that you conduct
  yourself. It is PRIMARY research, not SECONDARY.

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Primary vs secondary research

• Primary research
• Original letter
• Original interview
• Original measurement
• Original survey, study, document, etc.

• Secondary research
• Reading a book about another book
• Reading an article about a study conducted by
  others
• Reading an article about a historical document,
  etc.

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• Types of field research

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Interviews

• Should be introduced to the reader
• May help you brainstorm or narrow a topic
• Help add interest/color to your essay

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Interviews tips

• EXPERT INTERVIEW
• Makes your essay seem credible, trustworthy
• Supports the information in your essay

• NOT AN EXPERT INTERVIEW
• Might be testimony, opinion, ideas, etc.
• Can provide color, interest to your ideas
• Should NOT be used as fact
• Do not misrepresent your source

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Interviews adding them to your essay

• If your source IS an expert
• As a mechanic for five years and an at-home
  mechanic for over ten, Ronald Gregory suggests .
  . .
• Author of the book Knowing Your Dog, Camille
  Smith has a few tips for picking a new puppy.
• Ben Smith knows the worries of small business
  ownershes owned his own business since 1997.

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Interviews adding them to your essay

• If you source isnt an expert
• An avid golfer, Megan Kendall describes her
  first putting experience as annoying and
  intriguing all at the same time.
• Notice that Im not using Kendall as an expert
  for facts, but as an interesting anecdote. This
  is testimony and your reader will understand that
  Kendall speaks as person who loves to golf, not
  as a golf expert.

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Interviews adding them to your essay

• But what if YOURE the expert?
• 1 Make sure you really are an expert. Ive
  baked cookies many times, but Im not an expert.
  A chef or professional cook is an expert.

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• 2 If you ARE an expert, let your reader
  knowdoing so gives you credibility.
• After installing speakers in over 100 cars and
  working as an employee of Best Buy, Ive leaned
  that most audio systems are installed
  improperly.

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Surveys/questionnaires

• Can create survey yourself
• Must get permission before you interview students
  at a college

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Online discussion groups

• Chat rooms
• Web forums
• Discussion boards

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Online discussion groups

• Ideas or opinions from these places may not be
  expert opinions. You can still use them, but not
  as fact.
• Use
• As an interesting anecdote
• As a way to brainstorm ideas
• As opinions, testimony, etc.
• But NOT as facts

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Journal activity

• Find a web forum on the topic of your choice.
  Then, record some of the discussion threads you
  see. Who is the audience for the forum? How
  might you use the information you find in an
  essay?
• (for more instructions see the next slides)

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Finding a web forum

• To find a web forum, try searching in Google for
  your topic, web forum.
• Let me show you how I might find a web forum on
  the Ford Mustang . . .

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Look at all the forums!
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Notice how there are lots of different
conversations happening on this forum. Each
discussion is called a discussion thread.