1984+-+Writing+and+Research

Now that we have finished __1984__, we are going to begin the very fun process of using secondary sources to strengthen arguments. In other words, we are going to be talking research paper.

1. Go through your blogs, copying and pasting the critical analysis sections into a single Word or Pages document in CHRONOLOGICAL order (from the first reading through the final reading). Indicate where one ends and another begins by putting some sort of symbol between them; it does not matter what kind of symbol. 2. Read through your writing. What do you notice? Did your analysis become longer or shorter? Did you include quotes or paraphrases? Did you tie to the macrocosm (Orwell's themes)? What about your style: what is your syntax like? vocabulary? Did it change at all? If you were reading what people posted as replies and applying it to your writing, you should see some changes as you move through the paragraphs. In the discussion forum on this page, titled Critical Analysis Reflection, post your thoughts about what you notice and why you think your writing changed the way it did (or did not).
 * A few things before we begin the actual research:**

Now that you've reflected on the blogging process and your growth (or lack thereof) as a writer through this process, we need to organize. Follow these steps: 1. Go through your document that has your collected critical analysis. In the margins, identify which of Orwell's motifs you were analyzing. If you are using Word or Pages, highlight a key word or words, insert a comment, and type the motif. This should be a word or a phrase rather than an entire sentence. If you have printed your papers, highlight and hand-write. 2. Look for similarities: do some of the motifs connect in some way? if so, how? Organize those paragraphs together by selecting the text and dragging them. 3. Focusing on the two motifs about which you have the most written or make the best argument, compose a thesis statement that analyzes Orwell's purpose (THEME) and the style (ELEMENTS AND DEVICES) he uses to create it. Remember, the goal is not a three-dimensional thesis but rather a thesis that ties micro to macro. 4. Post your thesis in the discussion forum on this page titled "Thesis."

The first step in the research process is to learn how to evaluate sources. There are several types: 1. __** General **__: this would be sources like encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. 2. __** Primary **__: these are sources that are uninterpreted original sources. For example, in our class, the original works of an author would qualify. In history classes, historical documents or recordings of speeches would qualify. In science classes, a lab report of observations would qualify. 3. **__ Secondary __**: these are sources that provide critical analysis or interpretation of a topic or primary sources. An analysis of an author or a piece of literature, an analytical biography, or the conclusions drawn based on the data observed in a scientific experiment would all be considered secondary sources.

In order to learn how to evaluate sources, we are going to collaborate to create a user-friendly guide to evaluating sources using the Google document below:

Evaluating Sources Evaluating Sources Pd. 2

The directions for creating the document can be found there.

Transitional Expressions: