Collecting Original Research on an Issue Related to Your Course Theme
Objectives
1. To conduct original research about your selected issue by distributing a survey/questionnaire.
2. To create a visual representation of the data you collect (a graph, chart, flowchart, etc.) to be used later in your Research Report.
Overview
During the next couple weeks, we will focus on conducting research by using fieldwork. John Trimbur, author of The Call to Write, explains, Not all research is conducted in the library. In fact, the library may be just a starting point, providing an overview of your topic and the background information you need in order to undertake field research. Field research includes observations, interviews, and questionnaires (472).
The data you collect from this activity, along with the web research you will do, will be summarized later in a Research Report.
The Specifics
By now you have selected a specific issue to learn about and write about this semester. You conducted web research to discover what the experts say about the topic. Now its time to collect some of your own original data on your course theme and specific issue. Specifically, its time to learn what a general audienceperhaps people in your age groupthink about the issue, and you can do this through field research; in this class, youll design a survey/questionnaire to collect your data for the Research Report. This kind of research is fun and helps you collect data that no one hasnot even the experts.
To conduct this kind of research, think about the kind of questions you might ask a general audience about your specific issue and course theme. There are two types of questions closed and open. Closed questions require a simple yes or no answer. Open questions allow for the participant to expand on their thoughts and ideas.
For example, if you are interested in factory farmed meat and how knowledgeable people are about where their food comes from, you might design a list of questions that asks people about their food choices, where they shop, what they prefer to eat, and how knowledgeable they are about where their food comes from. Or, if you want to discover whether or not people believe its okay for little boys to play with dolls, you could distribute a survey/questionnaire to get people of all ages to express their opinions on the topic.
How To Collect Your Data
Your objective will be to collect information through your survey and then to draw a conclusion about the issue based on the data collected. Present the results of your survey in your Research Report.
You will collect your research by distributing a survey/questionnaire, either with paper or electronically using Survey Monkey. You may include between 8 and 10 questions, ask both open and closed questions, and use various question types. Youll need responses from at least 25 people.
