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Now that our semester has begun, let me say again, welcome!
1. Course Goals and Philosophy
The course is designed to promote your understanding of research as a practice, and to inform your practice of secondary research. By "secondary research" I mean exploration of published "research literature" that has accumulated around a topic of interest to you.
The course will not ask you to complete primary research such as original design of a project, qualitative or quantitative analyses of data, historical or archival studies, and so forth. The course will ask you to explore existing research literature created by others in the field of interest. By "the field of interest" I generally mean technical/professional communication as a discipline of study and practice. (Most of the course resources, readings, and illustrations intentionally refer to tpc.) However, you might also explore research in other disciplines that are relevant to your problem or question of interest. Especially if you pursue a "pragmatic" (work-related, or professionally-motivated) issue, you might explore topical sources in pertinent disciplines. In my philosophy of technical/professional communication there are (at least) two kinds of communicators: professional communicators (whose job is communication) and professionals who communicate (whose work requires or relies on communication). I encourage you to follow your interests in accord with your goal for this course. Do you want to know more about a topic within tpc as a field? Do you want to know more about a topic pertinent to your work?
The course also asks you to examine the tools that you use to sift through and make sense of research literature. This critical thinking skill is important to assessing the output of searches,managing a search process, and self-assessing your research practices. The really proficient researcher has competence (ability to find information) as well as critical know-how (understanding of how the tools, or finding aids such as search engines and databases, work). You don't need technical background to do this, just willingness to learn a few key operational principles and to check individual tools for how they do things.
What is research, and why do people do it? Talk to five researchers and you'll get five different visions of what it means to do research--of how the researcher defines a research question (or "problem"); how the researcher selects methods, forms a strategy, and sets the aim(or "goal" or "objective"); how the researcher relates to the interested parties (or the "audience, consumer, or user" of the results), to authors of studies, to other folks who are researching the same topics, and so on. Some view research as an lifelong quest for knowledge or an Internet-based addiction. Others view it as a professional duty performed to achieve timely, practical, creative or definitive solutions to a problem (as well as professional recognition). Experience of research differs, too. Some conceive and live the activity of research as a collaborative process of inquiring alongside fellow researchers. Others conceive and live the activity as solitary, stressful and agonistic. I suppose all these paradigms might apply under varying conditions, and whether you're researching mosquito control or the communication ethics of professional writers.
The premise of this course is that research is best viewed as collaboration or conversation. I do not mean that you will be doing collaborative projects in this class. Instead, I mean that you'll best understand "the research literature" on your chosen topics if you treat it as a conversation among a variety of researchers all interested in that topic. The conversation ebbs and flows, changes direction or focus, and can even get contentious at times as researchers disagree with each other. But for the most part, folks in technical/professional communication (and in some other fields) seem to be genuinely interested in moving their research areas forward--in adding new knowledge for others to use or refining what's already known. To do so, they inquire into work already done, build upon its strongest aspects, identify needs for more or different work, and move the process along. That's collective collaboration over time and across topics.
However, because the practice of research often feels less communal than that (perhaps especially so in an online course), I suggest that we have some conversations during the semester about our experiences of reading and doing research. One place to have these conversations is the online discussion area. (Coming soon is announcement of how we will conduct discussion this semester.) Another is my office 2109 Bate. A third (for all you locals) is wherever we happen to bump into each other--in the halls of Bate or the Java Cities around campus (in Wright Place, Mendendall, and now Joyner Library).
2. While we're on the subject of communication...
Those of you who have taken tpc graduate courses before already know that online course delivery is a different animal than face-to-face seminars. Though the course is technically online, we can certainly supplement the web site with other forms of communication.
Online discussions: Location will be Blackboard, which you can access directly (http://blackboard.ecu.edu, choose 'My Courses') or through the link on the homepage menu bar. We will not have formal weekly discussions in this class; however, I WILL routinely post discussion prompts on the discussion server, and I DO expect folks to pitch in with their insights. No grades for this, just the satisfaction of being good "class citizens" and, probably, help from classmembers when you need it.
I also strongly encourage you to use the discussion space to raise issues/problems/experiences on your own--no need to wait for my prompts! Respond to the prompts posted by any of us. Treat the discussion space just as you would treat that time in every meeting of a face-to-face class when folks chat informally about research problems, things they don't understand about the reading, interesting successes, and other course-related topics.
Office hours: My office is Bate 2109. My scheduled office hours in Bate this semester are Wednesday 10-11:30 and other times by appointment. Email me to set up appointments. My Bate office phone is 252-328-5513 (no voice mail). If you'd like to call at a different time (not during office hours) email me to set a time. I encourage you to stop by or call, even if you aren't needing 'help.' It's nice to hear how things are going.
3. Course evolution
Like most of the tpc courses, this course has been designed and tweaked by several faculty over the years--the original design is by Dr. Philip Rubens and Dr. Sherry Southard. Dr. Brent Henze added, deleted, and otherwise modified the material, and I am doing so, too. The process is ongoing. As we proceed this semester, I might add more material to the course readings, resources. Don't worry--I'm not going to assign huge volumes to read. But I will attempt to add material related to whatever issues are arising for people, just as, in a face-to-face class, the professor would be likely to steer the course discussions toward needs or interests as they arise. The practical impact is that even if you decide to work ahead in the course Readings or Resources(on the Calendar), be sure to review them again during the indicated weeks--they may have changed in the meantime.
I WILL post email messages announcing significant additions. I'll also announce course news under the "NEWS" link on the course homepage (see News in the menu bar). Be sure to check News before you begin a project. Typically, I post an overview of each project intended to provide orientation. See Project 1 overview at the end of this welcome, for example
4. Course Projects
The course has four major assignments that collectively will help us to achieve three course goals (I know, these aren't exactly the goals listed on the course frontpage--a failure of consistency on my part!) From my perspective, the course goals are the most important things, and the assignments merely help us to achieve those goals. (I say this because students often feel that the projects "for their own sake" are the most important elements of the course, simply because they're the vehicle for grading.) Here's an overview of how the projects relate to the course goals:
a. The course asks you to be familiar with a variety of search tools and critical of the tools you use.
[PROJECT 1: Search Engine Evaluation]
The first project asks you to examine the strengths and weaknesses, not of research literature itself, but of the tools we use to find research literature: namely, online search engines and databases. The point here is that our search tools crucially shape how we're able to view the field that we are trying to explore! By comparing the efficacy of a web-based search engine with that of a library database, you'll begin to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of search tools.
b. The course encourages a systematic, critical approach to assessing research.
[PROJECT 2: Critical Analysis of Published Research]
Sometimes it's necessary to accept certain written claims simply because we can't critique everything. However, as researchers and scholars, our first instinct ought to be to evaluate the reliability and significance of the material that we read. You'll be asked to select an article (the default is an article found during your research for Project 1; you may also use another article found otherwise), then to critically analyze the piece in order to weigh its strengths and weaknesses.
The second project models a systematic approach to reading, in which a research text is dismantled and scrutinized bit by bit. This approach forces us to make sense of the elements of a text, seeing how the research problem is set up, examined, and resolved.
c. Finally, the course will give you an opportunity to hone your skills as critical and reflective researchers.
[PROJECT 3: Annotated Bibliography]
[PROJECT 4: Evaluative Bibliographic Essay]
Project three asks you to choose a research topic that interests you in technical and professional communication, and then to construct an annotated bibliography of sources in that area.
Then, starting from the annotated bibliography, project four asks you to write an evaluative bibliographic essay that examines how your topic has been treated in the past and offers your informed perspective on the future of the field.
That's it for now! I do encourage those of you who are able to stop by my office next time you're on campus, just so we can get to know each other. Folks living too far away from Greenville--don't hesitate to contact me by email or office phone. Also be sure to use the discussion space to full advantage as the best conduit to the rest of the course participants.
Questions? Just ask!
PROJECT 1 OVERVIEW
A course goal: to provide you with skills, strategies, and conceptual knowledge necessary for successful problem definition and conduct of research
Project 1 objectives : to define a research problem; search published research on the problem using online research tools; evaluate the results of searching (not the content of the findings) in order to observe how tools influence the results; compare tools for their relative strengths and weaknesses in finding information relevant for your inquiry.
What is project 1 about?
This exercise is process and tool-focused, not information focused. It is primarily about learning to use (and critically compare) search engines and databases as search tools, and about practicing structured searching online. It is NOTabout gathering information on your chosen subject or topic. That will be the focus of later projects.
What can I expect to learn from project 1?
Set these performance goals for yourself:
Work plan:
Research puts you in a chicken-and-egg situation. That is, objectives are ambiguous, progression is often not orderly, where to start is not obvious. Logically, tasks for Project 1 could be ordered in several ways. In this suggested work plan, I have ordered them step-wise, in functional order. And, I’ve sorted the readings (including selected, very helpful supplemental readings from optional texts) by task, or according to the task they support. To relate a reading to a task, I ignored the calendar (syllabus) order of readings. My assumption is that you are self-managing your work, reading (and re-reading) and using resource lists as needed for the work. I offer the order suggested here as a structure to guide you as you work through a multi-part exercise.
TIP: Don't work in isolation. Use all available help--ask reference librarians at Virtual Library ECU. When Blackboard discussion is enabled (coming soon), post questions for 7730 classmembers; often they can answer best because they've already resolved what you're trying to resolve. Regularly check Tips/Troubleshooting for questions and answers that might help you. And, remember you can email me (smithcath@ecu.edu) with questions or call me (252-328-5513) during office hours (W 10-11:30)--as you work in Project 1.
TIP: Be kind to yourself. Allow sufficient time to get oriented (See warm-ups, below, here). Project 1 is a challenging exercise. Wise practice is to proceed step-by-step, and expect to backtrack. Get help--from a librarian, the instructor, or classmembers--when needed. Research is more comfortable, satisfying, and effective that way.
Tip: Do warm ups.
Orientation:
Review:
• “Research Methods” (week 1, syllabus)
• Read the project 1 (see Projects link, menu bar, course homepage). If you like, skim the sample project reports accompanying the project 1 description (not to imitate, but to learn). Read to get a feel for the task, not to begin step-by-step task work just yet. Before you begin project tasks, give yourself the advantage of preparation.
Conceptual/intellectual warm up :
On the syllabus, read “Conducting Literature Reviews (week 3, course calendar). While it assumes too much background in the reader, this lecture nevertheless honestly outlines the process of transforming a wish or need to know about something into a workable research problem.
Select and read chapters in Hartman and Ackerman that fit your need-to-know and level of experience as a researcher. I won’t make one-size-fits-all assignments of chapters, yet. Each of you is an adult learner, and each is a different researcher with different background experience (both working and academic). So, for now, find what you individually need in Hartman and Ackerman to augment your prior knowledge, and read it.
Tool-use warm up #1 (Web search engines):
Tool-use warm up #2 (database search engines)
BTW, in chicken and egg fashion, these warm ups will enrich your topic knowledge while they simultaneously develop your tool-using skill.
When you're ready, do Project 1. A suggested workplan follows.
Task #1 Define Research Problem
• Evaluate your need for information by deciding on your purpose for research. Is your purpose academic (study-related)? Or pragmatic (professional work-related)?
Academic (TPC study-related) examples: cover art as a factor in the selection of textbooks by teachers and trainers (a topic in information design, visual communication, publication marketing, and other subfields of technical/professional communication); rhetoric of typography in web design; online training; web design for accessibility.
Pragmatic (work-related) examples: funding sources that support community outreach by public nonprofit organizations (a topic in professional fundraising, community organizing, community development and other subfields of activity by nonprofit organizations); tissue and organ donor registries; Internet use by older adults seeking medical information; Internet use by municipalities in crisis communications.
• State your research problem in searchable form, or language that includes concepts and terms you might use as subjects or keywords for searching
Recommended reading: “ Conducting Literature Reviews” (Reading for Week 3, syllabus)
Task #2 Create a structured path of research: consult general resources, then use search engines for Web searching, then consult specialized databases
Re-read "Research Methods" (Week 1, syllabus)
Recommended reading (for TPC-study topics): “Creating a Structure for Research” (Week 2, Syllabus)
Recommended reading: “A Researcher’s ToolKit: Directories and Virtual Libraries,” ch. 4 in Hartman and Ackerman, Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Task #3 Choose your tools
• Review Project 1 description for another, slightly different overview of tasks, and description of intended outcomes to keep in mind as you select your research tools
• Select the Web search engine that you will use for your research.
- remember to read the ‘help’ to learn how that search engine performs searches
• Select the specialized database that you will use for your research
- remember to read the ‘help’ to learn how that database performs searches (e.g., controlled vocabulary)
Strongly recommended reading: “Using the Web for Research,” ch. 3 in Karen Hartman and Ernest Ackerman, Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Recommended list of possible Web search engines: “Major Electronic Bibliographic Resources” (Week 2, Syllabus)
Also recommended: “Search Strategies for Search Engines” (ch. 5) and “Overview of Specialized Databases” (ch. 6) in Hartman and Ackerman, Searching and researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web.
Task #4 Conduct searches
• Review Project 1 description (Syllabus) for instructions on searching comparatively (so that you can compare results)
• Review “Conducting Literature Reviews” (Week 2, Syllabus)
Recommended reading: “How do I evaluate a website?” (Week 4, Syllabus) Also includes tips on making searching easier.
• Search the literature (remember to leave sufficient time and to manage your time!)
Task #5 Write the report of literature review (due September 21)
• Check News for updates on the report format
• Contact the instructor as needed.
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