Research+Paper+1

=**Recognizing Research Contexts**=

What does "**rhetorical situation**" mean?

Research needs and processes change according to the circumstances:


 * You may need to research which doctor to visit in the event that you or a loved one needs a doctor.


 * or which car to purchase


 * or whether to adopt a pet and where


 * or where/how to apply for a job


 * where to apply for scholarships and financial aid for college


 * or which classes to take in college

You will also need to conduct academic research for school. School assignments are situational and depend on the teacher's expectations, the class, the subject, and a variety of other factors, such as:


 * topic chosen


 * length of the paper


 * whether you conduct primary or secondary research or both


 * whether you interpret something or critique someone else's interpretation


 * whether you develop a theory about a phenomenon or test someone else's theory


 * the expected product: a proposal? a developed argument? a report? an analysis? a description of a methodology? a review of previous research on the subject?

You will also encounter other research situations on the job. For example:


 * What do we need to include in our proposal in order to win the contract?


 * What salary would be competitive and fair for the work that I will be doing in my new job?

The **rhetorical situation** is the context surrounding a particular research or writing task. In other words, you must consider how several contextual factors influence your research:


 * topic** - what are you researching?


 * purpose** - why are you researching it?


 * audience** - to whom are you writing?


 * author** - who are you and what is the experience you bring to the issue you are researching?

When you consider the **rhetorical situation** of your writing, you are considering these elements. These factors influence not only the research that you do and how you conduct it but also your conclusions and your presentation of those conclusions to your readers. Additionally, becoming more thoughtful about your own research process will make you a more careful reader of the research and arguments of others.

Open up your blogs and write in response to the following writing prompts:


 * How have you conducted research before? **

Think of a situation recently in which you had to conduct research to solve a problem. Perhaps you had to solve some transportation problems getting to school, or maybe you had to come up with a solution to a challenge at school. You might even consider the choice that you made about where you want to apply for college or which major you want to pursue. Answer the following questions about that experience.


 * Describe the situation. Why did you need to conduct research? What did you need to find out? Try to state your challenge as a question that you needed to answer.


 * Who was involved in the situation - just you, or did the research and conclusion(s) affect others? Did you conduct the research or alone or with others?


 * How did you explore possible answers to your question? Where did you look for information? Did you ask anyone for advice? Did you look for information that others had written, or did you gather information by talking to people?


 * What conclusion(s) did you come to? How did you decide on that conclusion?


 * Were you satisfied that you had considered all the options or did you make a quick decision? If time was a factor, was there something you would have done differently if you had had more time?


 * How did you share the results of your research? Who wanted or needed the information and how did you present it to them?

=**Identifying Research Purposes**=

No matter the context for your research, whether personal, for school, or for work, you are essentially doing the same thing each time - answering a question.

When most people think of research, they think of research for school. Whether for personal reasons, school, or job, it's important to be aware of the **rhetorical situation**.


 * How do research processes compare?**

Open up your blogs and write in response to the following writing prompts:

Think about two times you've conducted research in the past: one when you conducted research for a school project and one when you conducted research to answer a question for yourself. Think about the processes that you used in each situation and respond to the following questions.


 * Why did you conduct this research? If you were given instructions, what were they? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do - for example, you were looking to buy a car, or decide which colleges to apply to.


 * What questions did you ask? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do.


 * How did you start your research? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do.


 * What went right and what went wrong? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do.


 * What were the outcomes of your research? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do.


 * How would you conduct research differently if you were to do it again? Provide one example of research you had to do for a school assignment and one example of personal research you had to do.


 * || **Academic Research** || **Personal Research** ||
 * **Why did you conduct this research? If you**
 * were given instructions, what were they?** ||  ||   ||
 * **What questions did you ask?** ||  ||   ||
 * **How did you start?** ||  ||   ||
 * **What went right and what went wrong?** ||  ||   ||
 * **What were the outcomes of your research?** ||  ||   ||
 * **How would you conduct your research**
 * differently if you were to do it again?** ||  ||   ||

=**Considering elements of the rhetorical situation**=

Whenever we conduct research, we must always consider each element of the **rhetorical situation** of our research and writing: **topic, purpose, audience,** and **author**. Each of the four elements of the rhetorical situation is shaped and influenced by the others.

Being aware of the **rhetorical situation** for your writing and research will help you to answer your research question effectively.


 * Topic**: What is the subject and why?


 * Purpose**: What is the reason for the research?


 * Audience**: Who wants to know the results?


 * Author**: Who is doing the research and why?

Awareness of the **rhetorical situation** will help you conduct successful research and communicate the results of your research so that you can achieve your goals.


 * How do rhetorical situations compare? **

Open up your blogs and write in response to the following writing prompts:

Think of a situation in the recent past that required some research. Maybe you were planning a celebratory dinner at a restaurant and need to look at menus, price ranges, locations, accommodations, and so on. Or you might focus on a research project that you completed for one of your classes. Think about the rhetorical situation of your research and create a Venn diagram including the purpose of your research, the author, the topic, and the audience.

Compare and contrast your situation with other members of the class using the following questions:


 * What motivated you to conduct the research?


 * What was the topic, or subject, of your research? Was the topic tied to a specific time and location? Why or why not?


 * Who was the audience for your research? Who was affected by the results? Who might have been an unintended audience that was affected by your research? How did knowing your audience affect your research?


 * As the author, what was your experience with this topic before you began to research it? What was your experience with the audience? How did your experiences affect your research?


 * How do your rhetorical situations compare with those of other members of your class? How do your processes for adapting to the specific rhetorical situations compare?

=**Understanding disciplinary approaches**=


 * Rhetorical situations** include personal, workplace, and academic contexts. They also include the different contexts in which you do academic work. A lab report for AP biology will look different than a poetry assignment for a creative writing class, for example.

=**Entering a conversation**=

Sometimes is helps to think of your **rhetorical situation** as a conversation that you are entering - and you are entering that conversation by asking a question (or answering a question someone is asking you).

As you choose a topic to research and a question on which to focus, you are entering a conversation in progress. People have most likely been talking about this for a while, and you can learn by "listening" to what's been said already. You might do this by reading things that others have written, paying attention to any disciplinary conventions you find, or you might interview people who are knowledgeable about the subject to learn what they know. The important thing to remember is that you're most likely jumping in mid-stream - the conversation has been going on already and you'll have some catch-up work to do before you can contribute to the discussion. Part of understanding the **rhetorical situation** of your research topic is learning what has already been said so that you can focus on how you want to enter the conversation.