12.2: The Classroom Lecture and Activity

How to Start Research By Using Inquiry Based Research

SLO-Conduct inquiry-based research by formulating research questions, identifying a variety of sources (e.g., utilizing internet and library resources, such as scholarly sources), and evaluating and integrating sources into writing, including using sources as evidence in researched arguments. 

The reason why writers and researchers start with questions is so that they can narrow information down to the most relevant and useful. You may be used to starting your essay with a thesis and then finding a few sources to support your ideas.  While this method is useful to teach you about writing basic argumentative essays, it often leads to one-sided or flimsy arguments and skimming of information. Example: Children who play violent video games learn violent behavior. You might also have been assigned to write a persuasive essay where you try to convince the audience to do, think or feel something. For these assignments, you may have also started with a thesis. Example: Private schools are better than public schools.  Now that you know how to write these types of essays, it is time to learn how to balance these rhetorical strategies to write more effective essays. An effective argumentative research essay balances these two styles. If you focus too much on persuasion and only thinking about the audience, your essay can become skewed and fall into propaganda. If you focus too much on exploring the topic, you will writing more of an expose with no explicit argument. See the chart below.

 

Image:Truth Seeking-Persuasion

Exploratory essay examining all sides of an issue

Argument as inquiry, asking audience to think out issue with writer

Dialogic argument seeking common ground with a resistant audience

Classical argument aimed at a neutral or possibly skeptical audience

One-sided argument aimed at a friendly audience often for fund-raising or calls to action)

Aggressive one-sided arguments

"Outright propaganda"(Ramage, Bean, Johnson)

By starting with a question, you are not predetermining the outcome of your research. It allows you to see first what the information and experts are currently saying before making decision. It can also allow yo the opportunity to conduct your own primary research if you have the time and resources. This approach gets you closer to truth seeking and further away from propaganda.

Works Cited: Writing Arguments 10th ed. by John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson

 

Inquiry-Based Research

"In inquiry-based research, you often begin a project not knowing much about the topic. But to find the questions that will sustain your investigation, you have to quickly listen in to what other people have said about it." For example, take a student’s interest in The Projects. She certainly knows something about the projects because she passes by them everyday in her commute to school and remembers where other project buildings used to be. She knows enough to ask a preliminary question: What is happening with former CHA land? But this student needs to have working knowledge of her topic before she will be able to pose an inquiry question that might work. But what kinds of things do you need to know to ask a good question?

 

Steps for developing an Inquiry Question
	Topic: The Projects
Working Knowledge	Opening Question: What is happening with former CHA land?
Focused Knowledge	Inquiry Question: What is the relationship between Chicago housing policies and where low income housing is placed?

 

You need some background (or working) knowledge on your topic before you can settle on a researchable inquiry question. In this example, the student begins with a general factual question, and after learning enough about her topic (focused knowledge), is able to craft the inquiry question that will guide her research for the next few weeks.

Developing that knowledge means asking many more questions and looking your topic through certain lenses or using certain categories. If the student develops a working knowledge on Chicago housing policies, this is what she might discover.

1. Definitions.The way in which something is defined has impact on how people use it. This extends to connotations. Is there a set of specialized criteria that is used to define it? Why does this matter?

The student quickly discovers that there are competing definitions about things she thought were settled. What, for example, is the difference between low-income housing, section-8, and mixed income housing? What do people mean when they use the term redlining? What are the current housing policies?

2. Conversations. The ongoing conversations and debates/controversies that people are having can determine what issues get noticed. What do experts disagree on? Which debates are the most heated in this topic? After some time searching online, it’s obvious that there are fundamental disagreements among people on a whole range of issues. Should the city be allowed to sell CHA land to private developers? Should property tax statements be more transparent? Should low-income housing be mixed with high end properties? Is it wrong that certain banks don't lend in African-American and Latinx neighborhoods? Can ethnic or racial community areas be better than diverse areas?

3. People. Behind every argument or conversation is a person or group of people. This can range from experts to community members. Who are the influential people in the field? What about their ideas are interesting?  Could you profile them?

It doesn’t take much searching on this subject to begin to recognize certain experts or advocates whose names come up again and again in the debates. For example community advocates such as, Karen Freeman-Wilson of The Chicago Urban League who works for economic, educational and social progress for African Americans and promotes strong, sustainable communities through advocacy, collaboration and innovation. Diane Latiker of Kids off the Block organization, and Leah Levinger of the Chicago Housing Initiative. There are investigative journalist such as Natalie Moore- the Southside reporter for WBEZ news and Josh McGhee of the Chicago Reporter. Equally important is also the mayor of the city- depending on the year- Richard Daley, Rahm Emanuel, Lori Lightfoot, or Brandon Johnson. Since positions of authority can change often which means the people will change, it is important to make sure the information you find is timely.

4. Disciplines. Disciplines are the areas of expertise or study that people choose to pursue. This can fall into different discourse communities. Before long, the student will realize that she can understand Chicago housing policies in more than just the context of debates among advocates, journalists, and government officials. Can the student ask what her topic has in relationship to another topic? What type of context does it create? How does this help her understand her topic better? This is a topic that combines a whole range of disciplines: anthropology, sociology, law, psychology, and urban planning.

5. Impact and Place- What about the topic has the most impact on the most people? What may have the most effect in the future? Are there any specific places (a city or state?) that are directly impacted by the topic? While the student’s topic already deals with Chicago, she will have to consider that not every person that lives in the city of Chicago cares about, deals with, or is impacted by the Chicago Housing Authority. By focusing on one or two specific neighborhoods, the student might find more information. For example they might look at articles, documentaries, and events surrounding the Ida B Wells projects or Cabrini Green.

6. Trends - Are there any recent and significant developments in this topic? This is importance especially for timeliness. The student can always add in relevant history, but seeing what is currently happening with help her see if some of her questions have already been answered or some issues already solved.

Works Cited: The Curious Researcher By Bruce Ballenger

Continue to Narrow your Topic by developing a working knowledge

As you search and collect information, ask yourself new questions about your topic that were not on your list. This is why keeping a research notebook, whether physical or digital is important.

Classroom Activity: Using the six categories above, and your knowledge of issues or concerns about Harold Washington College or City Colleges of Chicago, write one question for each category. You may work in groups or alone. Which categories do did find it easier to come up with questions? Explain. Share out.

Criteria	Meets All Requirements	Meets Most Requirements	Missing Some Requirements	Missing Most Requirements
Completeness	Student answers the full question completely using details, instances, and adds personal examples	Student mostly answers the full question using some details, instances, and adds personal examples	Student mostly answers the full question using few details, instances, and adds personal examples	Student does not answer the full question using details, instances, and adds personal examples
Focus	Student's answer is focused, clear, and stays on topic throughout the post.	Student's answer is mostly focused, clear, and stays on topic during most of the post.	Student's answer is somewhat unfocused, clear, and stays on topic during most of the post.	Student's answer is not focused, not clear, and does not stay on topic throughout the post.
Grammar and Mechanics	Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation shows evidence of editing. Appropriate vocabulary with complex sentence structure.	Mostly correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation shows some evidence of editing.	Some correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.	Frequent grammatical and mechanical errors in each sentence. Inappropriate language.