journal for ultimate_writer

Journal Entry Requirement:

Each journal entry you submit shows what you have learned, how you are applying what you've learned, and how you are reflecting on and revising your research process. For each journal entry, write specifically about the skills and tasks you practiced in that last week (that way, your journal entries will build on each other).

Your journal entry should be at least 1-page single-spaced (at least 650 words), well-organized, with complete and grammatically correct sentences. You can use your "I" voice in this journal, but take a serious and rigorous tone.

Part I. Reflect on the new research skills you are learning.

Reflect on the skills you've learned in the past two weeks: narrowing your topic, using library databases to find scholarly sources, the difference between popular and scholarly sources, using NoodleTools, learning MLA formatting, writing your research proposal, giving feedback on your peers' proposals, and reading/annotating your sources.

What have you learned and how are you applying these new skills to your own project? Detail all the steps you took, why you did those things, and how it went. Reflect on how you are revising your research process continuously as you learn more. 

Part II. List sources.

(1) Add at least 2 more sources from the library databases and Google Advanced Search to your annotation matrix. Include the publication information at the top of each entry.

(2) Fill out all the categories for each source as best as you can. Remember: do not copy the words, phrases or sentences from your source; use your own words. Otherwise, it is considered plagiarism.

(3) Be neat and make your spreadsheet presentable and easy to read. TIP: Select the whole spreadsheet. Then click "Format," then click "Text Wrapping," and then click "Wrap."

(4) Share your annotation matrix with me. 

Click "Share" on the upper right hand corner of the spreadsheet, "give permission to anyone with the link" and then copy and paste the shareable link at the bottom of your Journal entry.

Rubric

Academic Engagement Rubric

Information for writing the journal:

The following videos will teach you how to create a Works Cited page at the end of your paper and how to cite your sources inside your paper (in-text citations). Remember that you can press the "CC" button on the lower-right hand side of videos to see English captions.

You are responsible for formatting your in-text citations and your Works Cited page citations correctly for your final paper (I will not be going over this in class) so make sure to watch these. 

(1) MLA citations (8th edition)" published by McMaster University Libraries (3 min 38 sec):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDGDUOi_92A (Links to an external site.) 

(2) "MLA 8th Edition Online Workshop" published by the Germanna Community College Tutoring Services (20 min 17 sec):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baTARdUdnfQ (Links to an external site.)

For when you enter the citation information for scholarly articles into Noodle Tools, here is a quick tutorial on how to find and understand the publication information. You'll need the following information to cite your scholarly sources:

Author

Title of Article

Title of Journal

Volume (how many years this journal has been published total)

Issue (how many times this journal is published per year, if more than once)

Publication Date

Page Numbers

What Database did you download this article from?

What is the article's Permalink or DOI? (you can google this info or find the permalink on the article's record page).

Watch the following videos to solidify what you learned in class about the difference between scholarly and popular articles:

(1) "Peer Review in 3 Minutes," published by the NCSU Library (3 min 15 sec):

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/teach-yourself/scholarly-sources/peer-review.php (Links to an external site.) 

(2) "What is the Difference between Scholarly and Popular Periodicals?" published by the Peabody Library (3 min 2 sec):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeyR30Yq1tA (Links to an external site.) 

(3) "Scholarly versus Popular Articles" published by the Wayne State University Library (1 min 31 sec):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejM2AVkcVZ0 (Links to an external site.)

Review our in-class lesson on scholarly vs. popular sources. Review the sources you've already found for your project and determine: which ones are popular? which ones are scholarly? how can you tell?

Now that you have narrowed down your topic, it's time to gather your sources. You've already been gathering popular sources using Google Advanced Search. This week, we'll learn how to find scholarly sources using the library's academic databases: http://library.shoreline.edu/databases (Links to an external site.). 

But wait! What's the difference between "scholarly" and "popular" anyway?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Your tasks for the next few weeks are to collect, read, annotate, and reflect on your sources for your project! Review the following guidelines, and begin filling out the annotation matrix at the bottom of the page.

COLLECT

(1) Begin by reviewing your research questions: these questions guide your reading and thinking because what you are looking for are answers to these questions, as well as ways to make your questions a more accurate and precise reflection of the field of research about your topic.

(2) As you find sources that pertain to your research questions, continue to refine and shift your keywords and search terms (and your knowledge about your topic). 

(3) AS SOON AS you find a source you might use, put that source into NoodleTools. Do this immediately so that you don't have to repeat the work later on.

(4) After finding a handful of good, credible, reliable, and relevant sources, start reading.

READ

Remind yourself, constantly:

• What are you reading for? What is the purpose of your quest for information?

• What are the the requirements of the research paper? 

  • • Read for Argument, Evidence, and Analysis

    • Use the research to guide your thinking (read the evidence FIRST, come to conclusions SECOND)

    • Keep track of what evidence you will use in your paper, and how you plan to use it (use the spreadsheet below)

ANNOTATE

(1) Use the annotation guidelines to help you read the sources you have found: How to Read and Annotate Scholarly Journal Articles handout.docx.

(2) Keep track of what you are finding out. Fill out your annotation matrix for each source that you read so that you won't have to re-read or re-do the work later on in the quarter when you start writing.

REFLECT

• Looking back at what you've collected, read, and annotated, reflect on what other sources or what other information you may need to "round out" your project.

  • Are all your sources exactly the same? Do you need to diversify the kind of sources, or the kind of information, you are reading?

  • Are your sources too varied and broad? Do they cover too many ideas/topics? Do you need to narrow your focus and find sources pertaining to something more specific?

  • Do you have a good balance between scholarly and non-scholarly sources? 

  • Do you have a good balance between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources?

If you have not done so already, remember to open and save the Annotation Matrix spreadsheet to aid you in your quest for sources. Keep track of your sources in this spreadsheet, especially your secondary sources, your scholarly sources, and primary sources (if you choose to use them):

Step 1:

Step 2:

Click "File" and then click "Make a Copy" and save it under your own name.

Step 3: 

As you find new sources you like, fill this spreadsheet out. Trust me, your future self will be thanking your past self for doing this. Less work later! 

Fill out as much as you can. The more you do now, the less work later. 

Even if you aren't sure what some of the categories mean now, that's ok! We will learn more about the categories over the next few weeks.

****IMPORTANT: Use your OWN words when filling out the matrix. Do NOT copy words, phrases, or sentences from the sources. You will forget you did that and then you will be in danger of plagiarism.***

Step 4:

I will ask you to share this spreadsheet with my periodically throughout the quarter. At that time, you will click "Share" in the upper right corner, then click "Get Shareable Link," and then share that link with me.