Analysis of Literary Practices Part 1

Situation:

I am currently enrolled in another graduate course this summer. For this class, I have to write the typical 10-12 page paper on a topic of my choosing. My class is structured about Medieval film and literature, and I have recently decided to research the prevalence of rape in these two mediums after viewing Angelina Jolie's new film, Maleficent. The film itself served as my first brainstorm into this topic as it is set during a postmodern-Medieval time period and depicts an unconventional rape scene. (Spoiler alert: Maleficent is not actually raped, but the images shown are extremely suggestive; she isn't sexually raped, but she is robbed of something physically close to her, and is drugged in order for this to occur. It's rape, but not the way our society categorizes rape.) From this, I will follow a variety of steps to conduct my actual research.

Step 1: I flesh out supportive ideas with paper and pencil. 

This is phase one of my brainstorming activities after narrowing down my topic. I usually do this three weeks prior to a due date if possibly. I sketch out a rough outline of ideas I think would support my actual thesis. For example, I have already mapped out films that are set in the Medieval times that I know either contain a rape scene or an almost rape scene. These will be the movies I try to find scholarly sources on. I usually only spend an hour or two doing this at my home.

Step 2: I go to Dacus and get started.

After I have a framework for my paper, I head to Dacus to get started on research. Ever since I was an undergraduate student, I have preferred working in Dacus. I get very distracted in my home while doing school work. Therefore, I like to remove myself from this setting, and be somewhere away from distractions such as dirty laundry or my arch nemesis: food. When I arrive at Dacus, I head straight to the computers and do a digital search through several databases. Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, and MLA Bibliography are my favorite databases, and I gravitate to them often. I have not gotten to this point yet with my hypothetical Medieval paper, but if I were, I would search keywords such as: Medieval, rape, literature, Sleeping Beauty, Joan of Arc, fairy tale, feminism in Medieval stories, Medieval females, etc. I also will conduct a Google search the same way by using a keyword search. I will have to admit, I have done many a Wikipedia search on a topic to use a springboard for other research. Meaning, I will use Wikipedia to build prior knowledge on a topic as opposed to going into a situation cold tu

Step 3: Select electronic sources

Once I have conducted a thorough search, I select articles that I feel are appropriate for a topic. Usually I jot down the titles of articles when I find them, and then continue to pull until I have a nice pool to browse and select through. Then I go back through each article and I read the title and read the first full page. After that, I do a "Control F" search where I search for specific words in the article. Most of the time, these words are the same keywords i used to find the initial article. If I need to request an article from PASCAL, then I will read over the abstract or do a Google search for more information before requesting the library for a copy. On average this takes several hours, or a few sittings (1-2 days) to accomplish my "online search." After I've exhausted my electronic databases, I run my print quota up by printing out every single one. I prefer the old fashioned way of "gutting" an article by skimming and looking for key terms. I highlight the fool our of my paper sources. 

Step 4: Select paper sources 

I roughly follow the same steps for conducting a search through the library catalog as I do to find electronic searches.This happens after I have exhausted my electronic source. I enter the stacks and usually only select three of four actual books. I gut the book and make marks with pencil (don't worry, I go back and erase!). 

Step 5: Outline paper

After I have gathered what I think are enough sources of information, I create an outline where I start with my thesis and then I add in where I will use certain sources. It is not a typical outline; my outline is more of a hybrid of organizing information and getting my thoughts in order on how I want to proceed. I don't write my paper by hand, instead I start cold on a Word Document. I also always type in single-space. Too much space makes my thoughts wonder; if the words  are tight on the page then my thoughts are focused on the subject. 

Conclusion:

I do believe I fit into the category that Carr describes as a "power browser." I do not read through an entire article before printing it and adding it to my bank of information. Instead, I do utilize the type of skimming that Carr discusses in the article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" I'm a teacher, so I understand and encourage reading critically. However, when you are writing a paper, reading critically can sometimes go out the window when you are preoccupied with meeting deadlines, etc. The digital age has a lot to do with how reading skills have changed. Knowing this, if I were to teach an online course, I would need to modify my instruction based on how I know my students will conduct research. Already, I have seen Dr. Spring do this. For example, I really liked the fact that Dr. Spring tweeted an article from Salon.com. While Salon.com may not be considered a "scholarly" source, it provides information relevant to my interests and presents it in a manner that is easy to read and navigate. So many scholarly databases are NOT user friendly in this sense, and so it can be frustrating for students who are used to more "quick and dirty" methods. 

It would also be effective for me to teach "safe power browsing" within the online classroom environment. Students are going to want to get results fast, so what are some ways for me as their teacher to help? There should be a way for students to learn how to browse and conduct research is a quick manner that produces strong results. I think this can be achieved through using strong and correct keyword searches, but I would have to work and do more research before moving on to this teaching strategy. Finally, I love to read, and I do read the sources that I use while writing a paper. I may not do this right off the bat, but I do go back through a source again and again, and revisit key points often. I think this practice is still important, familiarizing yourself with a source, and it can be altered to fit the online environment.