RR #5

Chapter six discusses the idea of reading rhetorically. In other words, reading and not just taking what is said at face value. This is because research articles, like all other writing forms, have more in between the lines than what is initially obvious. This is not necessarily content, rather it is context. Much of what we can interpret from our sources is deeper than face value. Different things are written by different people and for different audiences. Being critically aware of this fact only makes our sources stronger. For this reason it is critical to verify the sources we choose. The book lists a few steps one should take to keep track of everything as well.

I think the biggest advantage for me in this chapter was the elaboration on paraphrasing. I know that when I write papers where I am supposed to include source material, I often forget when I should use a direct quote or a paraphrase. And how to cite said citations. It is a complicated process and I'm glad the book took some time to explain it. This was one of the parts of the book that I knew I would have to come back to when I write my paper.

RR #4

The main focus of this chapter is conducting primary research. This deals with what sources the researcher will use. A lot of times, we do secondary research without even noticing it. However, there are times when primary research will be absolutely necessary. For example: if I were to ask why there are different parking zones at Ball State. I would probably need to interview someone to get the information I seek. It's a good thing the book goes over interviews as well. Like any guide to conducting an interview, the book says to be prepared with questions ahead of time.

I think that the most important information in this chapter was the IMRAD acronym. Introduction, Methodology, Results, Analysis, and Discussion. If a researcher follows these steps, their presentation will come off as more clear and concise. As far as what will help me for this class and future college classes, I think IMRAD will do nicely. I like being able to follow structure and that is exactly what it gives me. A big theme of this chapter was finding your own sources and gathering your own data. To do this effectively in the future, which I'm sure I'll have to do, I should utilize IMRAD.