Spring 2014Dr. Novins

It is important to remember that every time you read anything you are reading for a purpose.

Sometimes we use this newly acquired information by itself.

Other times we may synthesize (combine) the information with other knowledge already possess.

The purpose of this module is to 1) have you read a few different articles to find questions you have about a topic and 2) synthesize that information.

During this semester I have been assigning different types of readings.

Each time you read, you have been expected to think about what you are reading and find meaning in the text.

In this module, you will be finding & reading texts that add to your knowledge regarding one topic (see social issues list on next slide) and synthesizing information from three sources.

The next few slides explain the assignment that you will be completing.

Write in either bullet form or paragraph form what you already know about the topic.

Be sure to organize your thoughts into two categories: 1. Facts that can be proven through research2. Opinions that I have regarding this topic

(You will be integrating this information into your synthesis.)

Before you begin reading about your topic, I want you to come up with a few questions that you have about your topic. (These will be worked into your synthesis as well. You will see how this works in the sample given later on in this PowerPoint.) You should have at least five questions before you being reading. Some of your questions can be simple questions while others should be a bit deeper and thought provoking.

For this assignment I want you to do some quality reading about your chosen topic. I want you to find a few magazine articles, newspaper articles, and maybe even a few scholarly journal articles that can give you information that answers your questions and furthers your knowledge about your topic.

The most efficient way to find your reading for this module is to use the Nassau CC Library website to search through specific databases.

On the following slides, I will show you how to search successfully for magazine articles, newspaper articles, and scholarly journal articles.

Please note: You should be using articles that have been published during the last 5 years. Anything older would not be acceptable for this assignment.

It is possible to just do a Google search and find information, but not all of that information will fulfill the requirements of this assignment.

Going through the NCC Library website will ensure that the texts you choose to read will follow the guidelines of the assignment.

Remember, any source that you use must be cited so don’t take info off a website without putting it on your reference page.

Also note that you only need to use THREE sources for this module as long as one is a magazine article, one is a newspaper article, and one is a scholarly journal.

If you want to use additional sources that is fine, but be sure to give credit where credit is due (or else it is called plagiarism).

Go to NCC Library website

Type your topic in the space!

But you aren’t done yet!

We need to narrow your

results!

See next slide!

I will be showing you an example using the topic of spousal abuse. Please note that you cannot choose to do your reading on this topic.

When I searched for spousal abuse, my results numbered 5,701. That is way too broad to start reading AND I didn’t put my guidelines on my search yet.

See next slide!

I will now choose

MAGAZINES

I will use the dates 2008-

2013

I will choose FULL TEXT

When you are done reading magazine articles, then uncheck MAGAZINES and check NEWS.

After you are done with NEWS, then unclick NEWS and choose ACADEMIC JOURNALS.

Remember: You only need one of each as long as the text you choose answers your questions and gives you new knowledge regarding your topic.

Although you will be putting your citations at the end of your synthesis, I thought it would be a good idea to show you how you can get your formatted citations from this website as well.

Once you read your article you will see a CITE option on the right (see next slide).

You will then scroll down to MLA (which is used on the undergrad level and copy and paste it into your assignment.

Choose CITE

As you read your different texts, you will need to read for information that is new to you and information that answers some of the questions you posed earlier.

It is important that you do not write a SUMMARY for each text you read. That is not the assignment. The assignment is to synthesize the information.

Summary definition: When readers summarize, they “identify key elements and condense important information into their own words during and after reading to solidify meaning.”

Synthesis definition: When readers synthesize they merge new information with prior knowledge to form a new idea, perspective, or opinion or to generate insight.”

Therefore, synthesis is an ongoing process. As

new knowledge is acquired, it is synthesized with prior knowledge to generate new ideas.

The reason you are completing a synthesis for your topic is to show me that you are able to read different types of texts and pull out main ideas and supporting details. This is what good critical reading do when they read.

The assignment that you hand in to me can be written in a less formal manner than a regular research paper. As always, you must still follow the conventions of print and grammatical rules of English, but your tone may be a little less “research-like” and a bit more “insightful.”

See next slide for example.

Sample final product:When I first began thinking about researching a topic I realized I was interested in spousal abuse because I recently saw an old episode of Oprah and was so torn by women who were telling their stories about their horrible marriages and relationships. One of the questions I wrote first for this assignment was “What type of women allow themselves to be abused?” When I started research spousal abuse I was thinking that it was only men who abused women, but as I started reading about Lisa Robin Kelly who was an actress on The 70’s Show, I realized that men can also be victims. I guess I thought that since men are usually larger and stronger than their wives, the women would always be the victims but two of the articles I read contrasted this idea. I think had to shift my question to “What type of people allow themselves to be abused by their spouses?” (This would continue discussing these ideas and what I found AND what I think AND how my thinking changed – if it did)

The main question all students want to know is the length of the final product.

Your final product should be a minimum of two-typed pages. I do not see how it would be possible to synthesize information from your three cites and share your insights in a shorter amount of space.

Your paper should not be longer than five-typed pages. This is not a research paper, but a synthesis paper. I want to make sure you can extract information from texts and make sense of it.

Of course you will have a list of your citations using MLA format at the end of your assignment.

Please note you do not need a cover page. I often use Turnitin.com to ensure that all

student work is original. Plagiarism is ground for dismissal from class and from the college.

Use this assignment to learn information about a topic that interests you.

Be sure to put enough time aside during the next two weeks to complete this assignment satisfactorily.

If you have any problems finding information about your topic, you can get assistance through the NCC Library or email me.

Have fun with this assignment – show me that you learned some interesting information about your topic!

Don’t write a research paper! That isn’t the assignment. Talk me through your synthesis. Read the sample given.