{"id":75,"date":"2017-06-07T17:23:56","date_gmt":"2017-06-07T17:23:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=75"},"modified":"2017-06-18T11:08:34","modified_gmt":"2017-06-18T11:08:34","slug":"using-sources","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/chapter\/using-sources\/","title":{"raw":"Using Sources","rendered":"Using Sources"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n\r\nBeginning writers sometimes attempt to transform a pile of note cards into a formal research paper without any intermediary step. This approach presents problems. The writer\u2019s original question and thesis may be buried in a flood of disconnected details taken from research sources. The first draft may present redundant or contradictory information. Worst of all, the writer\u2019s ideas and voice may be lost. An effective research paper focuses on the writer\u2019s ideas\u2014from the question that sparked the research process to how the writer answers that question based on the research findings. Before beginning a draft, or even an outline, good writers pause and reflect. They ask themselves questions such as the following:\r\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_l02\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n \t<li>How has my thinking changed based on my research? What have I learned?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Was my working thesis on target? Do I need to rework my thesis based on what I have learned?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How does the information in my sources mesh with my research questions and help me answer those questions? Have any additional important questions or subtopics come up that I will need to address in my paper?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How do my sources complement each other? What ideas or facts recur in multiple sources?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Where do my sources disagree with each other, and why?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Selecting Useful Information<\/h2>\r\nWhen you conduct research, you keep an open mind and seek out many promising sources. You take notes on any information that looks like it might help you answer your research questions. Often, new ideas and terms come up in your reading, and these, too, find their way into your notes. You may record facts or quotations that catch your attention even if they did not seem immediately relevant to your research question. By now, you have probably amassed an impressively detailed collection of notes.\r\n\r\nYou will not use all of your notes in your paper.\r\n\r\nGood researchers are thorough. They look at multiple perspectives, facts, and ideas related to their topic, and they gather a great deal of information. Effective writers, however, are selective. They determine which information is most relevant and appropriate for their purpose. They include details that develop or explain their ideas\u2014and they leave out details that do not. The writer, not the pile of notes, is the controlling force. The writer shapes the content of the research paper.\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_n01\" class=\"im_callout im_editable im_block\">\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Writing at Work<\/h3>\r\nWhen you create workplace documents based on research, selectivity remains important. A project team may spend months conducting market surveys to prepare for rolling out a new product, but few managers have time to read the research in its entirety. Most employees want the research distilled into a few well-supported points. Focused, concise writing is highly valued in the workplace.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Identify Information That Supports Your Thesis<\/h2>\r\nSystematically looking through your notes will help you. Begin by identifying the notes that clearly support your thesis. Mark or group these, either physically or using the cut-and-paste function in your word-processing program. As you identify the crucial details that support your thesis, make sure you analyze them critically. Ask the following questions to focus your thinking:\r\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n \t<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Is this detail from a reliable, high-quality source? Is it appropriate for me to cite this source in an academic paper?<\/strong> The bulk of the support for your thesis should come from reliable, reputable sources. If most of the details that support your thesis are from less-reliable sources, you may need to do additional research or modify your thesis.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Is the link between this information and my thesis obvious\u2014or will I need to explain it to my readers?<\/strong> Remember, you have spent more time thinking and reading about this topic than your audience. Some connections might be obvious to both you and your readers. More often, however, you will need to provide the analysis or explanation that shows how the information supports your thesis. As you read through your notes, jot down ideas you have for making those connections clear.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">What personal biases or experiences might affect the way I interpret this information?<\/strong> No researcher is 100 percent objective. We all have personal opinions and experiences that influence our reactions to what we read and learn. Good researchers are aware of this human tendency. They keep an open mind when they read opinions or facts that contradict their beliefs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01_n01\" class=\"im_callout im_editable im_block\">\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Tip<\/h3>\r\nIt can be tempting to ignore information that does not support your thesis or that contradicts it outright. However, such information is important. At the very least, it gives you a sense of what has been written about the issue. More importantly, it can help you question and refine your own thinking so that writing your research paper is a true learning process.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"im_section\">\n<p>Beginning writers sometimes attempt to transform a pile of note cards into a formal research paper without any intermediary step. This approach presents problems. The writer\u2019s original question and thesis may be buried in a flood of disconnected details taken from research sources. The first draft may present redundant or contradictory information. Worst of all, the writer\u2019s ideas and voice may be lost. An effective research paper focuses on the writer\u2019s ideas\u2014from the question that sparked the research process to how the writer answers that question based on the research findings. Before beginning a draft, or even an outline, good writers pause and reflect. They ask themselves questions such as the following:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_l02\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>How has my thinking changed based on my research? What have I learned?<\/li>\n<li>Was my working thesis on target? Do I need to rework my thesis based on what I have learned?<\/li>\n<li>How does the information in my sources mesh with my research questions and help me answer those questions? Have any additional important questions or subtopics come up that I will need to address in my paper?<\/li>\n<li>How do my sources complement each other? What ideas or facts recur in multiple sources?<\/li>\n<li>Where do my sources disagree with each other, and why?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s02_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Selecting Useful Information<\/h2>\n<p>When you conduct research, you keep an open mind and seek out many promising sources. You take notes on any information that looks like it might help you answer your research questions. Often, new ideas and terms come up in your reading, and these, too, find their way into your notes. You may record facts or quotations that catch your attention even if they did not seem immediately relevant to your research question. By now, you have probably amassed an impressively detailed collection of notes.<\/p>\n<p>You will not use all of your notes in your paper.<\/p>\n<p>Good researchers are thorough. They look at multiple perspectives, facts, and ideas related to their topic, and they gather a great deal of information. Effective writers, however, are selective. They determine which information is most relevant and appropriate for their purpose. They include details that develop or explain their ideas\u2014and they leave out details that do not. The writer, not the pile of notes, is the controlling force. The writer shapes the content of the research paper.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_n01\" class=\"im_callout im_editable im_block\">\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Writing at Work<\/h3>\n<p>When you create workplace documents based on research, selectivity remains important. A project team may spend months conducting market surveys to prepare for rolling out a new product, but few managers have time to read the research in its entirety. Most employees want the research distilled into a few well-supported points. Focused, concise writing is highly valued in the workplace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Identify Information That Supports Your Thesis<\/h2>\n<p>Systematically looking through your notes will help you. Begin by identifying the notes that clearly support your thesis. Mark or group these, either physically or using the cut-and-paste function in your word-processing program. As you identify the crucial details that support your thesis, make sure you analyze them critically. Ask the following questions to focus your thinking:<\/p>\n<ul id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01_l01\" class=\"im_itemizedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Is this detail from a reliable, high-quality source? Is it appropriate for me to cite this source in an academic paper?<\/strong> The bulk of the support for your thesis should come from reliable, reputable sources. If most of the details that support your thesis are from less-reliable sources, you may need to do additional research or modify your thesis.<\/li>\n<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Is the link between this information and my thesis obvious\u2014or will I need to explain it to my readers?<\/strong> Remember, you have spent more time thinking and reading about this topic than your audience. Some connections might be obvious to both you and your readers. More often, however, you will need to provide the analysis or explanation that shows how the information supports your thesis. As you read through your notes, jot down ideas you have for making those connections clear.<\/li>\n<li><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">What personal biases or experiences might affect the way I interpret this information?<\/strong> No researcher is 100 percent objective. We all have personal opinions and experiences that influence our reactions to what we read and learn. Good researchers are aware of this human tendency. They keep an open mind when they read opinions or facts that contradict their beliefs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"fresh-ch11_s05_s01_s01_n01\" class=\"im_callout im_editable im_block\">\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Tip<\/h3>\n<p>It can be tempting to ignore information that does not support your thesis or that contradicts it outright. However, such information is important. At the very least, it gives you a sense of what has been written about the issue. More importantly, it can help you question and refine your own thinking so that writing your research paper is a true learning process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-75\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revisions and Adaptations. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Dann Coble. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Corning Community College. <strong>Project<\/strong>: ENGL 1010 OER Project. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Successful Writing Section 11.5:  Critical Thinking and Research Applications. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/successful-writing\/s15-05-critical-thinking-and-research.html\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/successful-writing\/s15-05-critical-thinking-and-research.html<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/about\/pdm\">Public Domain: No Known Copyright<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":150,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Successful Writing Section 11.5:  Critical Thinking and Research Applications\",\"author\":\"Anonymous\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/successful-writing\/s15-05-critical-thinking-and-research.html\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revisions and Adaptations\",\"author\":\"Dann Coble\",\"organization\":\"Corning Community College\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"ENGL 1010 OER Project\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-75","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":24,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/150"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":273,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/75\/revisions\/273"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/24"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/75\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1010elec201718\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}