Engaging with Sources

Engaging with Sources

• Active Engagement: Actively engage with sources by reading critically, taking notes, and annotating key passages. This will help you understand the material and use it effectively in your research.  

• Reading for Different Purposes: Read sources for various purposes: to find a research problem, to understand different arguments and perspectives, to gather evidence, and to find models for your own research and writing.  

• Taking Notes: Take thorough and systematic notes, including bibliographic information, key arguments, and your own responses and questions. This will help you organise your thoughts and avoid plagiarism.  

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarising: Choose the appropriate method for incorporating information from sources into your work. Quote when the exact wording is important, paraphrase when you need to rephrase the information in your own words, and summarise when you need to condense a large amount of information.  

• Annotating: Annotate your sources by highlighting or underlining key passages and making notes in the margins. This will help you engage with the material and identify key points for later use.  

• Annotated Bibliography: Consider creating an annotated bibliography to summarise and evaluate your sources. This can be a helpful tool for organising your research and identifying key themes and arguments.  

Example:

As I gather my sources, I will engage with them actively by reading critically, taking detailed notes, and annotating key passages.  I will pay close attention to how Ishiguro uses language, imagery, and narrative structure to shape Klara's voice and perspective.  In my notes, I will record key quotations, paraphrase important passages, and summarise relevant arguments while also noting my own questions and responses to the material.  This active engagement will help me synthesise the information and formulate my own argument.   

Preparation Activity: Engaging with Sources

Reading: Chapter 4: Engaging with Sources

Instructions:

1. Source Selection: Choose one of the secondary sources you identified in your previous homework. Ideally, this source should be central to your research area and offer substantial arguments or information related to your research question.

2. Active Reading: Read the source actively, engaging with the text by taking notes, annotating key passages, and formulating questions or responses. Employ the strategies outlined in Chapter 4 of The Craft of Research to guide your active reading process.

3. Summarise and Respond: Write a summary of the source (150-200 words), highlighting its main arguments, evidence, and methodology. Then, write a response (100-150 words) to the source, indicating where you agree or disagree with the author's claims and why.

4. Identify Potential Uses: Explain how you might use this source in your thesis. Does it provide evidence for your argument, offer a counterargument you need to address, or suggest a new perspective on your topic?

5. Create an Annotated Bibliography Entry: Create an annotated bibliography entry for this source, including a full citation and a concise annotation summarising its relevance and potential contribution to your research. Length: No specific word count, but ensure thorough engagement with the source and detailed responses.

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Class Outline: Engaging with Sources

Objectives:

• Guide students in developing active reading and engagement strategies for research in the humanities.

• Equip students with practical skills in summarising, responding to, and utilising sources effectively.

• Foster critical thinking and discussion around the role of sources in shaping research arguments.

Activities:

1. Recap and Review 

   • Briefly review the process of finding and evaluating sources from the previous week.

   • Connect source evaluation to the concept of active engagement with sources.

2. Active Reading Strategies 

   • Discuss the importance of active reading in research.

   • Explore various active reading strategies, including note-taking, annotation, and questioning.

   • Encourage students to share their preferred methods and discuss their effectiveness.

3. Summarising and Responding to Sources 

   • Students work individually or in pairs to practice summarising and responding to their chosen source.

   • Professor circulates to provide guidance and feedback.

   • Emphasise the importance of accurately representing the source's arguments while formulating thoughtful responses.

4. Identifying Potential Uses of Sources

   • Students share their source summaries and responses and discuss how they might use these sources in their thesis.

   • Focus on identifying the specific roles sources can play in supporting, challenging, or expanding research arguments.

   • Encourage students to think critically about the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen sources.

5. Wrap-up and Preview 

   • Summarise key takeaways from the session, highlighting the importance of active and critical engagement with sources.

   • Preview the topics for the next class: "Assembling a Research Argument."

Reading for Next Week: Chapter 5: Making Good Arguments