Workshop_02: The MLA Academic Essay -Gathering Research
Summary: I introduced how you can be successful in this class, including an introduction to Write & Improve online support for your writing. Let’s enjoy researching the local or global issue you would like to write about.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
-Anaïs Nin
Students took the Academic Essay Writing here –> Academic-Essay-Writing-Survey-AEW2Download
Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 01 -Before you begin
Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 02 – Your Essay
Alex Essay Writing Tool Step 03 – Brainstorming
Outline of our Research Process:
- Basic Information -Wide reading
- Causes -Wide reading
- Further Examples or Case Studies – Close reading
- Effects -Close reading
- Solutions -Close reading
Homework is due by 1 p.m. the day before class. Take photos of your notes and insert them in the ‘Workshop_03 Articles #3 & #4 section of the Google document provided in your Google MLA share file. Simple is best. These two articles should focus on the causes of your issue.
Instructions for Homework Content:
1. Please, research basic information on 2 Internet, book, newspaper, or journal articles about a topic that you are passionate to write. ~It is fun to research what you would like to study, rather than being told what you must study. Try to summarize your work. Could you take pictures of your notes and put them in your shared Google Document so I can edit your MLA References? Please include the URL and MLA Works Cited as best you can.
Take notes on basic information about the issue you would like to study: Then, take about two pages of notes using the keywords on the pages. Remember to write the author’s name(s), the date, and page or paragraph numbers if you use “direct quotations.” Try to summarize your work. Could you include your typed MLA Work Cited details next to your notes, including the URL, so that I can help you?
MLA Work Cited Sample and Note-Taking Sample:
Bradshaw, Samantha, and Philip N. Howard. “The Global Disinformation Disorder: 2019 Global Inventory of Organised
Social Media Manipulation.” Oxford, UK: Project on Computational Propaganda, February 2019, pp. i-23,
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1209&context=scholcom
MLA Note-taking Sample B on Gender Equality:
UNICEF. “Gender Equality.” UNICEF, https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality
Free Database Engines off-campus to collect research for your MLA Paper:
Carrot 2: Carrot helps you find topics related to your search term. After entering the term, click ‘search’ to see the results as a list, treemap, or pie chart, which helps you visualize your issue and narrow your search simultaneously.
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): DOAJ is a community-designed and maintained online journal directory that provides access to robust, open-access, peer-reviewed journals. This search engine is independent and free, including being indexed in DOAJ. Please use this engine for topical issues and authors; you might find research that provides evidence for your academic essay. DOAJ is an educational outreach search engine focusing on high-quality applications and submissions.
Google Scholar: Google Scholar helps you do a broad or narrow search of articles. It also enables you to cite your “references” for APA and “works cited” for MLA!
CORE Research Engine UK: This research search engine claims to be the largest open-access research database in the world, giving free access. This website is very informative and easy to understand, where you might find research on your issue from Professor Andy Barfield:
Free Databases That Include Lists of Issues (If you cannot decide what essay you would like to write)
Learning About Global Issues—This website has been designed by Andy Barfield and his research team specifically for Chuo University Faculty of Law English courses to support student research in the Basic Research and Writing. More generally, his team hopes this website is helpful to students and others in Japan (and other countries) in developing their knowledge and critical understanding of global issues. Thank you, Andy!
Zenbird Media: Topics & Issues: Do you often think about researching issues related to your local community or Japan in general, but find the data is in Japanese? Then, Zenbird Media is for you!
2. Required! Write & Improve practice essay:
Five improved essays are due at the end of the semester. You can choose the essays and the time of writing freely, but write and improve on no more than one essay each week. Please check your essay at least three times and improve it based on the AI in Write & Improve.