5.1: The Steps

This chapter is brought to you by Sybil Priebe and other OER pieces.

At some point in your college career, a teacher is going to throw a research project in your face. The teacher might assign the topic to be researched – “Your question is: Where did the electoral college come from?” – or it might be open-ended, and in that case, you almost have free reign as to what you dive into.

Step 1: Why Does this Matter?

A STORY⁶³

Mateo and Isabella are two very different students, both of whom are taking first-year College Composition. When asked to write a research-based essay, Mateo copies text directly from internet sources and pastes it into his document as he stays up late and tries to meet the morning deadline for turning in his essay. Isabella, on the other hand, has been researching for the past four weeks, finding ideal resources, jotting down her own ideas and significant facts into a Google Doc or in her notebook, always recording exactly what page and paragraph number from which the information came. She was able to use the sources she found it a way that is ideal for college-level writing—to allow them to provide support for her own, original, unique ideas.

Isabella gave herself time to gain more knowledge and, therefore, more expertise regarding her topic so that all her studying and gained knowledge would help her become informed for this particular research-based assignment, as well as giving her practice for similar writing assignments that would come her way throughout her college career. Isabella had based her writing on her own ideas and then cited others’ appropriately, which she continued to do throughout the semester. Her professor praised Isabella for her creativity, thoroughness, and organization, along with her correctly citing her sources.

As Isabella continued to grow in confidence, she decided to apply for a position as a writing tutor through her college’s peer mentoring program. Once hired, she would not only earn a paycheck, but she would also gain valuable experience helping others understand the intricacies involved in the research and writing processes while sharing her own stories regarding how to succeed in college.

Mateo, however, was asked by his professor to make an appointment to meet with her. When he arrived at her office, she invited him to take a seat. “Where did you find your content for this report?” she asked.

A bit befuddled, he answered, “Through researching it . . . like with sources I found on the internet and in articles I found about my topic. They’re all listed in my Works Cited.” He reached for the paper and flipped to the back pages. “See. These sources. And I included the in-text citations here.” He pointed to another section within the body of his report. “And here.”

His professor knew that Mateo’s report was not only suffering from his failure to commit to the number of hours necessary for such a research-based project but that he had also never adequately learned how to incorporate the words and ideas of experts of others with his own words and ideas in a way that allowed already-existing information to fortify his original writing . . . not replace it.

Such plagiarism—taking the work of others and using it as his own—could involve department chairs and even college deans, the threat of failing a course, or, in extreme cases, suspension. However, particular consideration needed to be given to the fact that Mateo had been writing his research-based essays like this for years, and he had still made it to college. Was he at fault for beginning his report too late and thinking an allnighter and what was largely a cut-and-paste job could save him? Certainly. But how many instructors before this had just let it slide because he had “included the intext citations”?

One successful habit Isabella used was not only reading but also engaging with the source she discovered during the research process. She interacted with the texts by jotting down observations on printouts of articles regarding what the writers’ ideas made her think about. For online sources, she created two columns on a page in her notebook: (1) notes and citations of what the author was saying, and (2) her thoughts, opinions, analysis, or evaluation of each source along with her own, original ideas that came to mind as she was reading.

What Isabella did was participate in the existing dialogue about her topic—the conversation that was taking place among the established experts—and contribute by “publishing” (by submitting her essay by the deadline to her professor) her own original ideas as well as her analysis and evaluation of what others said. This practice also resulted in her own synthesis of her previous knowledge with her newly gained knowledge and her continued analytical thinking, innovation, and creation of written knowledge about that topic. She learned that writing allows the individual doing so to enter the conversation, which is what academia, especially at the college level, is all about.

Mateo’s instructor helped him understand how to properly incorporate the ideas of others within his essay through using a body paragraph from his own essay that was largely composed from content that he had obtained from an outside source. She asked Mateo to use two different colored highlighters to identify the phrases that were in his own voice and that were written from his own knowledge and those that came from an outside source. The professor explained the 70/30 rule, which says that 70% of an essay should be in the original voice of the writer and a maximum of 30% can be in the voice of an established expert on the subject, noting that some prefer more of a 60/40 percentage.

The instructor showed Mateo how to follow quoted, paraphrased, or summarized content with standard intext citations within parentheses. She also showed him how to intersperse such important information with sentences he crafted on his own. “State it again in your own words. Explain in your own words how that information relates to the overall focus of your section. Connect that information to more information that will follow,” she explained. “And when you get to the end of your paragraph with more information from an outside source, finish up with your own wise voice.”

“I can do that,” Mateo said. “How come nobody ever showed me how to do that? I’ve been getting away with this kind of research-based writing for years.”

The focus of College Composition is the types of writing students will encounter in college and their careers. Most of the majors students choose require them to conduct extensive research all the way through college. So, the students’ job is to learn how to do it so as to demonstrate their researching skills and increasing knowledge.

An introduction to college writing is based on understanding that the primary underlying skill of academic writing at the college level lies within analysis and the ability to synthesize information into one’s own words, citing sources as needed, with the confidence of one who feels part of a given community. The skills needed for good research-based writing involve reading the work of experts, assimilating that information with one’s own brilliant (and evolving) ideas, possibly mirroring some of the writing that suits each individual student, and becoming a clear, creative, and confident writer in his or her own right.

Step 2: What is Your Topic?

If the research project is open-ended, use the Brainstorming Chapter to figure out what your topic will be. Will you try to answer what vegans eat and why? Will you look up all the reasons behind teen suicides? Or will you research ways to start your own business?

Step 3: Who is Your Audience?⁶⁴

All writing is created for a specific audience. Writers must identify the specific reader they want to reach.

• If they are writing for a general audience, what is the best way to capture a wide range of readers’ interests?
• Should they provide background information that general readers would not necessarily know?
• Are they writing for an audience already well versed in this topic, and, if so, does this mean writers can use more scholarly language and include less background information?

Step 4: What Types/Kinds of Research Are Required?

After nailing down a research topic, decide whether to use primary or secondary sources. When it comes to secondary, instructors may want a combination of popular and scholarly. And, lastly, sometimes, your instructor will push you to consider both primary and secondary that come from both popular and scholarly areas.

TYPES OF RESEARCH

PRIMARY RESEARCH

This is conducted first-hand and includes interviews, blogs and forums, surveys and question groups, etc. The key to conducting primary research is accuracy and privacy.

SECONDARY RESEARCH

This is the gathering of information that has previously been analyzed, assessed, or otherwise documented or compiled including: sources (print or electronic) such as books, magazine articles, Wikipedia, reports, video recordings, correspondence, reports, etc.

KINDS OF RESEARCH

This table⁶⁵ showcases some of the differences between popular and scholarly sources you may find during your researching process.

CRITERIA	POPULAR	SCHOLARLY
Intended audience	The general public	Researches, experts, and student
Authors	Staff writers	Researchers and experts
Are sources cited?	Not often	Always (required for publication)
Purpose	To provide general information and to entertain the reader	To disseminate research findings
Content	General interest stories/news	Reports on research
Publisher	Commercial organizations	Universities, associations, or scholarly publishing companies
Is the source trustworthy?	Generally, yes. But the authors are not experts, the editors aren't experts, and the information isn't cited	Yes. Before publication the information goes through expert review

Step 5: Finding Quality Secondary Research.

If the research project calls for secondary research, then you’ll need to seek out some quality pieces to use. If the research project calls for only primary research, then you’ll seek out experts to interview, create surveys for people to take, etc.

SEARCH TRICKS

If you start by searching on good old regular Google, seeking out some popular sources, accurate terms or punctuation changes should be used to signal a more specific search or topic and lead to better results. First, determine what words or phrase best suits your needs. For example: If you are looking for information regarding a specific type of dieting, use quotation marks to indicate to the search engine that you are just looking for “vegan restaurants in California.” This will narrow down the return you get in your search.

These Search Tricks (also called Boolean and/or Proximity Searching) allow you to specify how close a search term appears in relation to another term contained in the resources you find. Boolean search operators show relation to other terms using and, or not, etc. Similarly, Proximity operators are shorthand notations used during a search that usually has a number to indicate how close search terms should appear.

• Using “AND” retrieves articles that contain all the terms and narrows down the search.
  • Example: “child abuse” AND Maryland
• Using “OR” retrieves articles with an of the terms and broadens the search.
  • Example: obesity OR overweight children OR juveniles
• Using “NOT” eliminates articles containing the second term and narrows the search
  • Example: depression AND teens NOT adults
  • Example: “video games” AND teenagers NOT children

SEARCH ENGINES

Choosing the appropriate search engine for scholarly sources is simple—if one is assigned or you have already become well versed in online research. However, if you are a novice in the field of research, the following list of electronic search engines may ease some of your research stress.

• College Libraries:
  • The NDSCS Library is called the Mildred Johnson Library. To hit up their search engines, go to ndscs.edu then Library then Resources.
• Google Scholar was created as a tool to congregate scholarly literature on the web.
• Populated by the U.S. Department of Education, the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a great tool for academic research with more than 1.3 million bibliographic records of articles and online materials.

Step 6: How Do I Check My Sources For Quality?

IMPLEMENT THE CRAAP TEST⁶⁶

The CRAAP test is a test to check the reliability of sources across academic disciplines. CRAAP is an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. Due to a vast number of sources existing online, it can be difficult to tell whether these sources are trustworthy to use as tools for research. The CRAAP test aims to make it easier for educators and students to determine if their sources can be trusted. By employing the test while evaluating sources, a researcher can reduce the likelihood of using unreliable information

• Currency means that the information found is the most recent. That said, students and educators may ask where the information was posted or published.
• When looking at sources, the relevance of the information will impact a wellrounded research endeavor. One question in this category to ask is how does the topic relate to the information given in a source? More importantly, the writers of the references should focus on the intended audience.
• Students and educators will look to see who the author, publisher, or sponsor is before they can trust the information. Their education level and the author's affiliations are important because this can help the readers know if the author is qualified to write on the topic. There should also be a contact information of the publisher or author.
• The accuracy of the contents in the source must connect back to the origin. Evidence must support the information presented to the audience. Evidence can include findings, observations, or field notes. The report must be reviewed or referred. It must be verifiable from another source or common knowledge. That said, the language used in the sources has to be unbiased or free of emotion, because of its use for fact retrieval. The content in the source should be free of spelling, grammar, or typographical errors.
• The purpose of the sources helps the readers know whether the information they are looking for is right for their research. The questions that arise when looking for the purpose range from informing, teaching, selling, entertaining, research or even self-gaining purposes. Also, the author's intentions should be clear. Certain aspects should be taken into consideration whether the information given is fact, opinion, or propaganda as well as political, personal, religious, or ideological bias.

Step 7: How Do I Cite Sources in My Text?

Okay, so now you have the research completed. And you put your sources through the CRAAP test. It’s time to put the information you found into your paper. You’ll decide first if you are going to paraphrase that information, summarize it, or quote it. After that, you’ll figure out how to give credit – with either MLA or APA (or Chicago Style; there are many citation formats).

PARAPHRASING VS. SUMMARIZING VS. QUOTING:

• Quotations are identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source (usually 3+ words in a row). If more than 4 lines (MLA) are quoted or 40 words (APA) are quoted, a block quote should be used.
• Paraphrasing involves restating a text, passage, or other document into your own words.
• Summarizing involves placing the main idea(s) of a larger passage from a source into your own words, including only the main point(s).

SAMPLES:

• Original Passage: Last night, Snoop Dogg and the Detroit Panthers rebounded off a loss the night before to take down the Toronto Rascals. After a terrific shooting night from Dogg, which saw him scoring 22 points on just 9 shots, the defense and tenacious rebounding of players like Greg Money and Andre Simpson helped them gain a big lead, and, ultimately, they pulled away midway through the third and never looked back.
  • Quote: The Panthers “never looked back” last night during their win over the Toronto Rascals (ReporterLastName).
  • Paraphrase: The Detroit Panthers, led by Snoop Dogg, recovered from their tough loss the previous night to defeat the Toronto Rascals in a fierce game. Snoop was awesome from the field, scoring 22 on 8-9 shooting, and with supporting help on defense and on the boards from Greg Money and Andre Simpson, they managed to pull away in the third quarter.
  • Summary: The Panthers easily defeated the Toronto Rascals after pulling away in the third quarter off solid performances from Snoop Dogg, Greg Money, and Andre Simpson.

MLA VS. APA STYLE

Typically, your teacher will require either MLA or APA style (they are the most common). Here are some basics to both styles:

MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION STYLE

• MLA does not require a title page, asks that the margins be 1” all the way around, wants double-spacing, and sometimes instructors will ask that a student’s last name and page number pop up at the top of each page on the right margin after the first page.
• MLA’s in-text/parenthetical citations ask for the author’s last name, most of all. If that’s not available, then throw the article title in there, etc.
• To be considered a block quote (also called long quotations) in MLA, you must have more than four typed lines that you want to quote.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION STYLE

• APA does recommend a title page, asks that the margins be 1” all the way around, wants double-spacing, and sometimes instructors will ask that a student’s title pop up in the upper left corner with the page number on the right margin.
• To be considered a block quote (also called long quotations) in APA, you must have more than forty words that you want to quote.

ALSO:

• Indent each paragraph when using MLA or APA style, as well as block quotes (a.k.a. long quotations).
• There is more to these styles – like how to use visuals and headings – so look online or in an updated handbook for more information on those specific writing situations.

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

Once the style is decided, and you’ve looked over how to cite in the text using that style, you’ll have paragraphs that look like these (depending on whether you use MLA or APA) meaning you have now embedded your in-text citations and are ready to create your end citations (covered in the next part).

A PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE USING MLA FORMAT

The definition of the word "controversy" is tough to nail down, sometimes. For me, it's not those people who find ways to push everyone's buttons on a constant basis. No, those people are just mean. Instead, things that are "controversial" to me are things that are more hidden. Eric Haverty covers those people in his online post, but he also had definitions that fit my idea better. For example, he stated that people who "wear clothes reversed and inside out or none at all" are controversial. I agree. He also states that controversial people park where they shouldn't! Keeping with the traveling concept, he also states that controversial people bike wherever they want to, too (Haverty).

A PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE USING APA FORMAT

Americans are boastful and Japanese are reserved. These are widely held national stereotypes (Madon et al., 2001), but is there any truth to them? One line of evidence comes from cross-cultural studies of the better-than-average (BTA)effect - people's tendency to judge themselves as better than their peers at a variety of traits and skills (Alicke & Govorun,2005). The BTA effect tends to be strong and consistent among American participants but weaker and often nonexistent among Japanese participants (Heine, Lehman, Markus, & Kitayama, 1999).

Step 8: How Do I Cite Sources? What Do End Citations Look Like?

Once you begin to wrap up your writing – or this can be done while you are adding to your research paper – you’ll create Works Cited Page entries according to the format required. Essentially, you’ll want to find all the pieces you can that identify the source you used: author, title, dates, pages.

MLA FORMAT

THE MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION STYLE IS MOST COMMONLY USED IN WRITING COURSES.

BOOK:

Escholz, Paul, and Alfred Rosa. Subject & Strategy. 13th ed. Bedford St. Martins; New York, 2014.

ONLINE ACADEMIC ARTICLE:

Hernandez, Josh. “A Bovine Experience: Why the Cow Metaphor Doesn’t Work.” University Literary Studies, vol. 8, no. 2, 2002, www.icu.edu/uls/bovinemetaphor/fig.lang.

ONLINE EDITORIAL FROM ACADEMIC JOURNAL:

“Information Technology and the Disassociation of the Student Body.” Editorial. Persnickety Prose: the University Editor’s Journal, vol. 3, no. 3, 2007, pp. 34-47. www.persnicketyprose.org/editorital/IT/student.

BLOG POST:

Ramone151(Joey Ramone). RE: “I Wanna Be Sedated and other punk rules to live by.” Random Rock Inc. 1 June 1982, www.randomrockinc.com/thread/616192/punk-l yrics-aka-rules-life.

TWEET:

@Rosalinda16. “Living large in the outback of Argusville tonight.” Twitter, 2 June 2015, 9:22 p.m., www.twitter.com/Rosalinda/Argusville/night/2349810945483.

FACEBOOK POST:

Presley, Aaron. “Had the worst day. Came home and made a PB&J with bananas and bacon – now everything’s better.” 11 Aug. 2007, www.facebook.com/peanutbutterandjelly.

EMAIL:

Portmann, Rae. Subject: Foo Fighter’s MPLS!!!!. Received by: Cheryl Ann. 07 Sept. 2008.

PERSONAL INTERVIEW:

Priebe, Sybil. Personal Interview. 02 July 16.

DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

“Heuristic.” Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, www.m-w.com/dictionary/heuristic.

SONG - CD:

Nirvana. “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Nevermind, Geffen, 1991.

SONG - STREAMING (Spotify):

Prince. “Cream.” Diamonds and Pearls, Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records, 1991, Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/omgilvthis0983432.

MOVIE:

Shaun of the Dead. Directed by Edgar Wright, performances by Simon Peg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, and Bill Nighy. Universal Pictures, 2004.

PHOTOGRAPH/IMAGE FROM A WEBSITE (Flickr):

Clarke, Brenda. “Space.” Flickr. 17 July 2009. flic.kr/p/6FoPBk.

FIGURE - CHART, TABLE, IMAGES (from a book):

Fig. 3. Taylor, A. Research Geeks Rule. Bedford St. Martins; New York, 2013. p. 323.

APA FORMAT

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION STYLE IS MOST COMMONLY USED TO CITE SOURCES WITHIN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES.

BOOK:

Escholz, Paul and Alfred Rosa (2014). Subject & Strategy. Boston: Bedford.

ARTICLE FROM AN ONLINE PERIODICAL:

Hernandez, Josh (2002). “A Bovine Experience: Why the Cow Metaphor Doesn’t Work.” University Literacy Studies (8.2). Retrieved from http:/ICU.edu/ULS/bovinemetaphor/fig.lang/

ONLINE EDITORIAL FROM ACADEMIC JOURNAL:

“Information Technology and the Disassociation of the Student Body” (2007). Editorial. Persnickety Prose: The University Editor’s Journal. 3.3. Retrieved from: www.Persnicketyprose.org/edit...al/IT/student/

BLOG POST:

Ramone, J. (1982, June 1). I Wanna Be Sedated [Blog Post]. Retrieved from: www.randomrock.com/jramone/biblioinfo/

TWEET:

Rosalinda16 (2015, June 2, 9:22 pm). “Living large in the outback of Argusville tonight.”

FACEBOOK POST:

Presley, Aaron (2007, June 11). “Had the worst day. Came home and made a PB &J with bananas and bacon – now everything’s better.” http://facebook.com/peanutbutterandjelly

EMAIL AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS:

“According to Rae Polemen (personal communication, September 7, 2008) studies show that music can influence….”

DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

Heuristic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/heuristic

EXAMPLE: RESEARCH PAPER USING MLA FORMAT

Student’s Name

Teacher’s Name

Class Title

06 Nov 2001

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh of Homer

"Don't you ever, EVER talk that way about television." - Homer Simpson

Is it ONLY a cartoon?

Only in our culture of today would you find such a question. And only in our 21st century way of thinking could you find such an answer.

As many people around the world take in, view, breathe the pop culture that is created and thrown at us on a daily basis by technology, by television, by magazines at a frightening pace, it is hard to take any of it for something more than what we see - what we can suck in from its material presence in front of us. But with an animated show called The Simpsons that has proven otherwise.

From the show, a book has evolved. Many college students around the country now own this book, The Simpsons and Philosophy. However, it isn’t for recreational reading as you may think. It is a required compilation that accompanies other more ancient books in philosophy classes at various universities. In fact, the very man that edited the series the book appears in, Popular Culture and Philosophy, is an assistant philosophy professor at Kings College in Pennsylvania.

CONTENT CUT FOR SPACE – CONTENT CUT FOR SPACE

Our friendly neighbor country to the north had good things to say as well. Jason Holt's review in Canadian Dimension said:

In this way, the show is a useful discussion-point. It draws attention to important issues often marginalized or ignored in today's cult of the quick-fix. In addition, it illustrates how, in certain cases, it is ordinary folk, not philosophers, who have gotten things right.

On another note, only one review found the book to be full of itself. Timothy Yenter's review for RealMagazine.com of The Simpsons and Philosophy said, "Each essay takes a unique approach, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.... (but) Not all the essays are so successful. Some never deliver the package they claim to offer, or they suffer from oversimplifying philosophical ideas or Simpson characters."

Mainly every reviewer and/or critic had nothing but great hoots and hollers for the book, if not the show as well. It IS a great springboard into philosophy for those not well equipped or versed in the discipline. William Irwin currently uses the book as an incredibly helpful addition to the books required in his class titled: Fundamentals of Philosophy. He, and other philosophy professors from around the United States, find the book an essential contemporary text that allows students and their professors an outlet into a better understanding of how philosophy is interwoven in our American pop culture and daily lives.

It isn't just a cartoon. And it does have many deep meanings. It has influenced us enough to have professors writing essays for a book about it; it has influenced other professors to use it in their very curriculum; it has us talking and laughing about each episode with co-workers, friends, and family. There MUST be more to it then the twodimensional characters and absurdness that radiates from it into our living rooms. "[It] has managed to be the only consistently funny, consistently smart source of political humor in mainstream American culture," asserted essayist David Kamp in GQ magazine (“Satire Still Superior On The Simpsons.”). Absurdness, yes; satire galore, yes; pop cultural influence in every 30-minute session, yes. And insanely enough, we learn from ourselves more each time we witness Homer and his family living their lives as we do. D’oh!

“Let’s go home kids.”

“We are home, dad.”

“That was fast.”

Works Cited

Holt, Jason. Rev. of The Simpsons and Philosophy. Canadian Dimension. 34.6 (2001): 45.

Kamp, David. “Satire Still Superior on The Simpsons.” GQ. 25 Sept 1998. 11 Oct 2001. <www.gq.com/writings>.

LaCoe, Jean. “The Simpsons Give Philosopher Food For Thought.” Times Leader. 14 Oct 2001. <http://www.timesleader.com/>.

“Simpsons Quotes.” Life Is A Joke.com. 19 Oct 2001. <www.lifeisajoke.com/simpsonspeak>.

The Official Simpsons Web Site. 10 Oct 2001. <http://www.thesimpsons.com/>.

Yenter, Timothy. Rev. of The Simpsons and Philosophy. RealMagazine.com. 14 Oct 2001. <www.realmagazine.com/new/>.

EXAMPLE: RESEARCH PAPER USING APA FORMAT

*Note: APA Uses a Cover Sheet

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’oh of Homer

"Don't you ever, EVER talk that way about television." - Homer Simpson

Is it ONLY a cartoon?

Only in our culture of today would you find such a question. And only in our 21st century way of thinking could you find such an answer.

As many people around the world take in, view, breathe the pop culture that is created and thrown at us on a daily basis by technology, by television, by magazines at a frightening pace, it is hard to take any of it for something more than what we see - what we can suck in from its material presence in front of us. But with an animated show called The Simpsons that has proven otherwise.

From the show, a book has evolved. Many college students around the country now own this book, The Simpsons and Philosophy. However, it isn’t for recreational reading as you may think. It is a required compilation that accompanies other more ancient books in philosophy classes at various universities. In fact, the very man that edited the series the book appears in, Popular Culture and Philosophy, is an assistant philosophy professor at Kings College in Pennsylvania.

CONTENT CUT FOR SPACE – CONTENT CUT FOR SPACE

Our friendly neighbor country to the north had good things to say as well. Jason Holt's review in Canadian Dimension (2001) said:

In this way, the show is a useful discussion-point. It draws attention to important issues often marginalized or ignored in today's cult of the quick-fix. In addition, it illustrates how, in certain cases, it is ordinary folk, not philosophers, who have gotten things right.

On another note, only one review found the book to be full of itself. Timothy Yenter's review for RealMagazine.com of The Simpsons and Philosophy said, "Each essay takes a unique approach, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.... (but) Not all the essays are so successful. Some never deliver the package they claim to offer, or they suffer from oversimplifying philosophical ideas or Simpson characters" (2001).

Mainly every reviewer and/or critic had nothing but great hoots and hollers for the book, if not the show as well. It IS a great springboard into philosophy for those not well equipped or versed in the discipline. William Irwin currently uses the book as an incredibly helpful addition to the books required in his class titled: Fundamentals of Philosophy. He, and other philosophy professors from around the United States, find the book an essential contemporary text that allows students and their professors an outlet into a better understanding of how philosophy is interwoven in our American pop culture and daily lives.

It isn't just a cartoon. And it does have many deep meanings. It has influenced us enough to have professors writing essays for a book about it; it has influenced other professors to use it in their very curriculum; it has us talking and laughing about each episode with co-workers, friends, and family. There MUST be more to it then the twodimensional characters and absurdness that radiates from it into our living rooms. "[It] has managed to be the only consistently funny, consistently smart source of political humor in mainstream American culture," asserted essayist David Kamp in GQ magazine (“Satire Still Superior On The Simpsons,” 1998). Absurdness, yes; satire galore, yes; pop cultural influence in every 30-minute session, yes. And insanely enough, we learn from ourselves more each time we witness Homer and his family living their lives as we do. D’oh!

“Let’s go home kids.”

“We are home, dad.”

“That was fast.”

Works Cited

Holt, Jason. (2001) Rev. of The Simpsons and Philosophy. Canadian Dimension.

Kamp, David. (1998, Sept. 25). “Satire still superior on The Simpsons.” GQ. Retrieved from www.gq.com/writings/.

LaCoe, Jean. (2001, Oct. 14). “The Simpsons give philosopher food for thought.” Times Leader. Retrieved from http://www.timesleader.com/>.

“Simpsons quotes.” Life Is A Joke.com. Retrieved from <www.lifeisajoke.com/simpsonspeak/>.

The Official Simpsons Web Site. (2001, Oct. 10). Retrieved from <http://www.thesimpsons.com/>.

Yenter, Timothy. (2001, Oct. 14) Rev. of The Simpsons and Philosophy. RealMagazine.com. Retrieved from www.realmagazine.com/new/>.

Step 9: How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?

TIPS FOR AVOIDING PLAGIARISM67

Research writing should present a writer’s thinking, supported and illuminated by the thinking and writing of others. Distinguishing between the two is paramount to academic integrity. Desperate students sometimes purchase an essay from a website and submit it as original course work. More often, writers plagiarize due to sloppiness, haste or ignorance. To avoid unintentional plagiarism, writers need to do the following:

• Understand what types of information must be cited
• Understand what constitutes fair use of a source
• Keep source materials and notes carefully organized
• Distinguish what information is composed of facts or general statements that are common knowledge

WHAT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE?

Common knowledge is a fact or general statement that is commonly known. For example, a writer would not need to cite the statement that fruit juices contain sugar; this is well known and well-documented. However, if a writer explained the differences between the chemical structures of the glucose molecule and how sugar is related to today’s levels of obesity in America, a citation would be necessary. When in doubt, cite.

WHAT IS FAIR USE?

Writers are allowed to quote, paraphrase, or summarize material from previously published works without formally obtaining the copyright holder’s permission. The concept of “fair use” means that writers may legitimately use brief excerpts from source material to support and develop their own ideas. For instance, a journalist might excerpt a few lines from a recently released film when writing a movie review.

THE 70/30 AND 15% RULES:

The 70/30 Rule says that approximately 70% of the written content should be original words and ideas from the student writer, with up to 30% from outside sources. The 15% Rule is that student writers should never use more than 15% of direct quotes from sources. If the writing goes over this amount, the voice of the student is not strong enough.

VALUE YOUR OWN VOICE

Plagiarism is the result of students who lack confidence in their ability to communicate in writing. It also frequently happens because students have not yet mastered the college success skills of time management, prioritization, and focus. In addition, some students value the ethos and authority of the writing of experts, even at the cost of valuing their own words, phrasing, and ideas. They may be afraid to say things in their own way. But college is partly about students finding their own voices and building confidence in communicating. Students remember that quotes and sources shouldn’t drive their papers. Their own original ideas should.

Here are two techniques one could use to avoid plagiarism when researching and writing using sources:

• After reading and annotating a research report, put it aside. Without looking at it, free-write a summary.
• Only use direct quotes when a source’s original words provide a unique and critical perspective that can’t be paraphrased or briefly summarized.

Assignments or Questions to Consider

• Conduct some primary research on any topic. Then conduct some secondary research on that same topic. Combine these pieces into a mini-research paper, similar to the one below only with real sources. Follow the requirements for sources and citations.
• Create a “Mini-Mock Research Paper” similar to the one below on any topic; you will MAKE UP sources, and quotes. No real research required. In your mock essay, the following is required: Short (direct) quotation, block quote, paraphrase from a source, and a works cited area using the correct format—should include a citation from at least three sources—one interview, one book, and one newspaper/magazine/website article. It’s okay if your essay “ends” rather abruptly—you aren’t writing the entire essay—just a small chunk of it. No conclusion is necessary. Humor is encouraged and appreciated!

Cucumbers Are Gross

"A cucumber should be well sliced, and dressed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing” (Jackson). As Samuel Jackson illustrates so clearly in the quote above, the cucumber is a disgrace to food everywhere. Studies nationwide have found the cucumber to be the most disliked of all vegetables. In a study I myself conducted, 90% of respondents said they would never even grow the vegetable in their garden, for fear of its terrible qualities spreading to their other vegetables. Because of its consistency and taste, the cucumber is the grossest food in the human diet.

“One of the most important factors in determining a food’s success or failure in popularity is its consistency” (Right 104). Something that tastes slimy when being chewed automatically results in a feeling of disgust. Such is one of the many problems that plagues the cucumber. The interior has a texture similar to moist fish scales: not hard, but not soft. Doctors Moe, Larry, and Curly explain:

Basically, the cucumber incorporates water into the construction of its inner and outer skin. In doing so, the hydrocarbons from the cucumber plant only partially bind to one another due to the magnetic interference from the extra water molecules. This partial binding creates the unusual texture experienced when a person bites into a cucumber and adds to the intense flavor. (Fine)

As the good doctors above so clearly articulated, the cucumber’s poor texture is a direct result of its own development. The Center For Steve is Always Right (CFSAR), in a study contacted last year, found only 6% of Americans didn’t mind the gross feel of the cucumber plant (CFSAR). In creating a disgusting surface, it has made its survival much more likely since no one wants to eat something so vile. Or has it? Maybe we should exterminate the horrific plant, but that discussion shall be left for another day. We turn now to the cucumber’s taste, another deplorable aspect to an already horrible food.

Works Cited

CFSAR (Center For Steve is Always Right). “Studying the Cucumber’s Likeability.” CFSAR Online. Updated 20 June 2002. Accessed 20 Feb. 2001

Fine, Moe; Larry and Curly Fine. Personal Interviews. 16 Dec 2001.

Johnson, Samuel L. Personal Interview. 03 April 2001.

Right, Im. The Culture of Food. Bismarck: Randomer House, 2001.

63 Contributed by Ann Inoshita, Karyl Garland, Kate Sims, Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma, and Tasha Williams: Professors at University of Hawaii. Sourced from University of Hawaii OER. This story has been licensed under CC-BY 2.0. Updated Sept 9, 2019.

64 Contributed by Ann Inoshita, Karyl Garland, Kate Sims, Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma, and Tasha Williams: Professors at University of Hawaii. Sourced from University of Hawaii OER. This information has been licensed under CC-BY 2.0. Updated Sept 9, 2019.

65 Found on our own NDSCS Library web site; it was revised from the table at UNC’s libraries: library.unc.edu/support/tuto.../journaltypes/

66 Information gathered from Wikipedia. This page was last edited on 18 August 2019. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

67 Contributed by Ann Inoshita, Karyl Garland, Kate Sims, Jeanne K. Tsutsui Keuma, and Tasha Williams: Professors at University of Hawaii. Sourced from University of Hawaii OER. This information has been licensed under CC-BY 2.0. Updated Sept 9, 2019.