2.9 Using model essays + research with human subjects

We spent the first half of class looking at Fetterley and Moreno as "model" essays.  We began by looking at each essay in terms of:

• focus
• methods
• methodology
• data (what counted as evidence)
• findings

We described Moreno, an ethnographic study, as follows.
Focus: bicultural students, pedagogy, literacy (and how it connects to identity)
Methods: textual analysis (of Raymundo's writing), ethnographic observation
Data: Raymundo's writing, theoretical writings by other researchers, observations
Methodology: postcolonial => critical pedagogy

We then looked at the essay in terms of the way it was built.  You worked in groups to identify Moreno's research question, the form (sections = by heading and what was the focus for each section), and the "moves" she made in each section.

Our analysis of Moreno was as follows.
Research question:  how can college literacy instruction help multicultural students resist colonialization- or as she puts it on 223 (how can we change universities from being " a tool for control and colonialization, considering here that literacy in institutional settings is also used to socialize students to the uses of language and discourses in eductational institutions."
Sections= introduction, background, presentation of data, conclusions.  I pointed out that research essays often have 6 sections=> Introduction, context, methods, data, discussion , conclusion.

In general, research essays are organized into similar sections - and make the :
Introduction: Connect to the research literature, discuss/introduce relevant theory, identify a problem, state what current research (this essay ) will do/add=>articulates the research question
Context: describe where, when, under what circumstances data are collected; identify/describe group, participants, or materials studied; explain selection of subjects; this section can also introduce more theoretical background
Methods: describe what was collected , how much was collected (sometimes as part of a larger study) & why the methods were used
Data:  these sections usually use data to make a series of short focused points: they introduce and idea, present a "set" of data (in Moreno's case these were excerpts from writing, or quotes from Raymundo and his classmates); and then discuss how/what the data show with respect to the idea.
Discussion: this section generally makes connections among the points made in the data section = and expands upon connections between theory and data in a more extended way
Conclusion: . Reiterates points from discussion in light of theory or general cultural circumstances or theory (returns to or "answers" the research question); calls for particular kinds of actions related to the essay's findings, identifies questions raised by the study and calls for more research

Developing research questions
One objective for class this evening was to explore the difference between a focus and a research question.  You wrote about possible focuses for your research on your last blog - and you have some great ideas.  As we saw in Morena - the research question shapes the whole project.  Your research question identifies your subjects, implies your methods, and frames and organizes the focus of what you will do.  For example, when we write down the focus for Moreno's study- we knew it was about bicultural students, literacy, teaching and colonialization.  The research question placed those factors in relationship to one another - and expressed a purpose in terms of what to look for.


Working with human subjects
The class concluded with an introduction to working with human subjects.  The Consent & Debriefing forms - what you will use with your subjects- are posted to the right, in the Course Documents section.  We will talk more about this as you get closer to conducting your research.  You cannot begin any work with the participants in your study until:

I receive written confirmation from Kean's IRB
You have completed the NIH training and sent me your certificate
We have agreed upon the plan for your study
You have received written consent from your participants

 The directions for completing your NIH training are posted at Assignments. You need to send me the link for your completed training by February 20 (if you have trouble- we have one more class to talk about it).

For next week:
Work on IRB training

Read: Evans in Griffin;  Sample autobiography as research essay: introduction and chapter excerpt for Jessica Stern's Denial  http://jessicastern.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/denial_excerpt.pdf

Blog 3 : do somemore  writing to map out your research question => pose several (related) questions that you might ask.  You may not be able to state what you want to study in just ONE question, and you may need to do some explaining/exploring to set up your question(s).  This is a place to put your ideas in writing - so your classmates and I can give you feedback.  

Have a good weekend - and see you next week.