Encouraging Strong Research

Students in the Business & Technical Writing courses learn about primary and secondary research and have assignments that enable them to develop their researching skills. This page offers some thoughts about ways to foster critical thinking about the sources which are found.

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Students are much more likely to use the Internet than to actually visit the library when they are conducting research. Learning to evaluate the Internet sources will make the difference between success and failure in some instances since the strength of the research determines the strength of the proposal being written. During a class held in a computer lab, this site can be examined and used as an opportunity to discuss sources students are finding for their proposal topics.

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Once students gather information, an annotated bibliography is a very good way for you to see the types of sources that have been selected. If problems are noted, you will be able to advise student. As you will see in the directions for the following assignment, students must begin by stating the type of source being used. (I've italicized the type on this page). In instances where there is disagreement, opportunities for discussion and learning are created.

The Annotated Bibliography

This assignment shows you and your instructor that you have been finding scholarly sources for your Technical Proposal topic. After about two weeks of research, looking for scholarly discussion in the engineering community pertaining to your topic, you'll be ready to create the annotated bibliography. For the assignment, you need to have at least 6 sources cites in APA style. You will have looked at many more than six, but it's likely that some aren't as useful as others. Your task is to select the best 6 (or a couple more). Being best means that the articles are from scholarly or professional sources

The annotation after each source does three things. First, it states the type of source (scholarly, professional, or popular). Second, it briefly summarizes the key concept of the article. Third, it briefly states how the information in this source will help you as you prepare to write your paper. APA (American Psychological Association Style Manual) will be used. Most of the sources you have been reading are in APA. In class, exercises will be done to practice APA work. There are also examples to follow in your text and at several web sites.

Below is a sample of how the page will look. Single spacing rather than the APA double spacing requirement is used to save space.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Frederick R. Harris, Inc. (1998). Improvement to the intersection of Ernston Road and Bordentown Avenue. Traffic study report and technical appendix, 1-8.

This professional report shows how complicated this intersection is. The report was commissioned to consider possible remedies. Seeing this engineering report helps me realize that my plan to solve the congestion problem at this intersection will have to include several components. It shows the need for collaboration between engineers and county officials in order to effect a change.

 

2. Bryson D. (1987). Intersection Advisor: An Expert System for Intersection Design. Transportation Research Record 1145, 48-53.

This scholarly report is somewhat dated but still useful. The author presents a systematic plan that can be followed for intersection design. Information in this article will help me assess the intersection I want to redesign and make sure my plan conforms to standard engineering practices.

 

3. Johnston, R, Lund, J. & Craig, P. (1995). Capacity allocation methods for reducing urban traffic congestion. Journal of Transportation Engineering 121, 27-39.

This scholarly article discusses a standard procedure used by civil engineers when they look for ways to reduce traffic congestion. The article shows me that there is a paradigm that might apply to the specific intersection where I have found a problem.

 

4. Office of Economic Development. (April 2000). Demographics of New Jersey.
<http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/pop.proj.html>

This popular source shows that the population has risen significantly over the past ten years in the area around the Ernston Road - Bordentown Avenue intersection. The data quantify the problem, showing how important my plan is. This quantification will help me develop a persuasive argument for funding.

 

5. Turner, S. (1998). Intersection Accident Estimation: The Role of Intersection Location and Non-Collusion Flows. Accident Analysis & Prevention 30, 505-517.

This professional publication has the formula used by traffic engineers to evaluate the probability of an accident happening. The article also has a thorough discussion of design concepts that can reduce the chance of accidents. With this information, I will be able to evaluate my new design and see how safe it might be.

 

6. Ward, R., Eck, R., & Polus, A. (1987). Developing an intersection hazard index. Journal of Transportation Engineering 113, 211-215.

This scholarly article discusses the development of a specific method for rating the hazard level of an intersection. Based on the analysis, a decision to address the problem can be made. The article helps me realize that engineers have established procedures for evaluating problems. If I understand these procedures, it is likely that I can propose a workable plan to solve the problem I have identified.

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