The Bedford Researcher -- Chapter 6 Summary

The Bedford Researcher Chapter 6: Managing Information and Taking Notes (MITN) is one of the most helpful chapters of the book for organization. It gives the reader the insight into how to save and organize the information they find so that he/she can use it effectively in their paper. The reader will accumulate their own written notes, printouts from Web pages, articles, photocopies of book chapters, books, magazines, newspapers, letters, printed email messages, etc. that will all be useful in the structure of their paper. Chapter 6 advises using filing systems to avoid a cluttered desk or a stuffed backpack. A great way to locate the information you've stored, according to Bedford, is to date everything in print you've collected, and put it all in order by date. To save and organize digital information, MITN suggests saving work in a single folder, using descriptive file names to easily locate material.  Chapter 6 discusses using a hard drive, flash drive, having smartphone access, bookmarking the pages, using web capture, web document sites, emailing yourself the documents, or even using bedfordresearcher.com. At all costs, back up your data. Back it up no matter what strategy you're using for digital information storage.  

The Bedford Researcher -- Chapter 4 Summary

Chapter 4 of The Bedford Researcher, titled Reading Critically (RC), gives the reader a better understanding of developing a thesis statement. RC instructs the reader to take a look at their sources and ask a research question about what they're reading. RC calls this "critical reading," rather than evaluation, because evaluation uses a different process that doesn't help as well as reading critically. Reading critically, however, will allow the reader to focus their topic and, as a result, have a much easier time getting their point across to the audience. Chapter 4 informs the reader that when he/she will be reviewing sources, they "should always adopt a critical attitude. Accept nothing at face value..." RC goes on, telling the reader to seek answers to their questions, examine the source and its relation to the topic, note relevant information, and be on the alert for unusual information. RC informs the reader of what strategies should be used to read actively. Such strategies include identifying key information, ideas, and arguments, writing questions in the margins, noting reactions to the content, recording quotations, paraphrases, and summaries, taking notes about the sources' content and how it relates, and identifying important passages for later rereading. Chapter 4 asks the reader to identify main points, identify the support for these main points, consider the use of evidence, identify interpretive frameworks, identify new information, identify hard-to-understand information, and identify similarities and differences.

The Bedford Researcher -- Chapter 2 Summary

The Bedford Researcher, Chapter 2: Exploring and Focusing guides the reader in discussing the appropriate topic. The first part of Chapter 2 goes into detail about topic exploration, topic discussion, preliminary observations, and finding sources. The latter of the three can be done by searching the library for books, articles, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magazines related to the reader's topic, as well as browsing newsstands and bookstores, searching available databases, searching the web, and browsing electronic web discussion forums, blogs, and wikis. Chapter 2 asks the reader to record their search results and sources, annotate their sources, and identify conversations in their sources. The second part of Chapter 2 discusses how the reader can focus on an issue in their topic and identify conversations of issue in their topic. This can be completed by finding repeated concepts in the reader's sources, finding disagreements, recurring voices, and broad themes discussed in said sources. Chapter 2 asks the reader to asses their interest in the issues and choose an issue that will help them achieve their purposes as a writer. Chapter 2 will come very much in handy to the reader looking for the right topic, issues, and in need of valid resources.

The Bedford Researcher -- Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter 1: Getting Started of The Bedford Researcher is an instructional chapter that provides helpful steps to writing an effective paper. These steps include choosing a topic, locating and using sources, writing with confidence, and writing argumentatively. Chapter 1 asks the reader to take ownership of their project, understand research writing processes, work with resources to support their paper, develop a position on their topic, understand the genre and design of their writing, understand the importance of readers and context, and manage their time in completion of the essay. Getting Started discusses each and every one of these topics in depth and for the benefit of the reader, asking them to analyze their assignment, generate ideas for appropriate topics, and consider the situation of their writing. Chapter 1: Getting Started of The Bedford Researcher gives the reader a great starting point to whatever they may be writing, and should be used as an instructional manual throughout the entire process involved with writing their paper. Chapter 1 is beneficial to any writer who wants to achieve a professional level of writing. Getting Started provides copious amounts of beneficial instruction to helpfully guide any author, amateur or professional, to a higher level of writing.  

MLA Evaluation -- Elizabeth Angeli & John Smith

Toward a Recovery of 19th Century Farming Handbook

Angeli	0  -  F	1  -  D	2  -  C	3  -  B	4  -  A
Be your own work;					X
Be 3,000+ words in length					X
Employ correct gram, punct, & MLA-style					X
Employ parenthetical citations, a Works Cited page, & employ copious signal phrases					X
Convincingly argue your thesis				X
Refer to 10 or more highly credible sources					X
Conclusively demonstrate 102 level					X

Found Voices: Carl Sagan

Smith	0  -  F	1  -  D	2  -  C	3  -  B	4  -  A
Be your own work;					X
Be 3,000+ words in length			X
Employ correct gram, punct, & MLA-style					X
Employ parenthetical citations, a Works Cited page, & employ copious signal phrases					X
Convincingly argue your thesis		X
Refer to 10 or more highly credible sources				X
Conclusively demonstrate 102 level			X