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Introducing the research process and information literacy to English 102 students studing food and globalism, Spring 2009
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INTRODUCINGRESEARCH
Elaine Fleming'sEnglish 102Spring 2009
Start with a Broad Topic
The assigned general topic: Food, Globalization, and the “Locavore” local food movement.
Pick a Focus
Globalization & Eating Locally
Business/ Economic
Issues
Cultural Implications
Health/ScienceImpacts
Narrow Your Focus• Business/Economic Issues
– Fair Trade and Developing Economies– Farmers Markets and Local Economies– Financial Cost of Negative Climate/Health Impacts
• Cultural/Humanistic Implications– The Loss of Regional Cultural Uniqueness– Shared Cultural Understanding through Food
• Health/Science Impacts– People
• Mass-Produced Foods and Hunger Alleviation• Mass-Produced Foods and Obesity• Traditional Indigenous Foods & Health
– Climate• Carbon Footprints and Global Warming• Pros and Cons of Eating Locally
Example: Narrowing the Topic
Food Globalizatio
n
Pros & Cons
Before You Search…
• Do you have a specific or well-developed question, idea, or thesis-statement?…OR…
• Do you have a vague or very general idea of what you want to research?
General Idea
• EXAMPLE:“I think I want to do something about Coca Cola and how it’s an example of globalism and what its effects are on communities.”
• Pick out the main concepts.• If it helps in your pre-research stage,
write a possible thesis statement.
Thesis Statement: The Point
• Sums up your paper.• Gives the reader a brief overview of
what you hope to tell them.• You can start out with one thesis
statement in the prewriting or research stage and end up with a totally different one in your final paper.
Example: Thesis Statement
• If you want to do a paper on how Coca Cola may be contributing to global health problems, you can write a thesis statement like:
• Coca Cola contributes to unhealthiness through globalism, including in Indigenous communities.
Example: Thesis Statement• Find possible search terms by isolating
specific concepts• Coca Cola contributes to
unhealthiness through globalism, including in Indigenous communities.
• Possible Search Terms:– Coca Cola– Unhealthiness– Globalism– Indigenous communities
Where to Find Information• Print Materials– Books– Magazines– Newspapers– Encyclopedias
• Electronic Resources– Databases– Websites
• Human Resources– Experts– Researchers
Library Resources
• LLTC Library– http://www.northstarca
talog.org/common/welcome.jsp?site=100&context=leechcollege
• KRLS Public Library System– http://kitchicat.krls.org
• BSU A. C. Clarke Library– Reciprocal usage
agreement– http://bsu.mnpals.net
Print Resources: Books
• May be specifically on topic:– Richard Wilk’s Fast Food/Slow Food: The
Cultural Economy of the Global Food System (available at BSU)
• May be tangentially-related to topic:– The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook: Local
Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes (available through KRLS)
• Check the table of contents (front of the book) and the index (back of the book)!
Print Resources: Articles
• Search newspapers, magazines, journals
• Articles searchable online:– Electronic databases
available through LLTC
– Newspapers available in print and online
– Google Scholar
Electronic Resources: Articles
• Electronic databases available through LLTC– EBSCO– ProQuest Newspapers– INFOTRAC
• News sources available online:– CNN, MSNBC– National Public Radio– Newspapers (
Anishinaabeg Today, Bemidji Pioneer, Star Tribune)
• Google Scholar– http://scholar.google.com
Things to Keep in Mind
• Some personal web pages may contain biased or incorrect information.
• Wikipedia is not a good academic research source, because anyone can change or edit the articles, making it unreliable. Use it as a starting point but double-check with trustworthy sources.
More Things to Keep in Mind
• Evaluate sources on their:– Accuracy• Does the source contain errors or mistakes
or non-factual information?
– Authority• Was the author a credible expert? Was the
webpage from an official organization?
– Currency• When was the information source created
or last updated?
People Are Resources, Too!Ask questions and interview experts:• Cass Lake Farmers Market• Dennis Montgomery (LLTC instructor)• Harmony Co-Op in Bemidji• Headwaters Food Sovereignty Council• Leech Lake Nutrition Services• North Country Farmers Market• Gardeners and growers who purposefully
choose to sell or to eat locally-harvested meats and produce
If You Have Any Questions:
• About the assignment itself, contact your instructor Elaine.
• About research and resources, ask– Elaine– Your library staff
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