1/9/19 - Research Day 2 and Expanded Tips

Today in class, we were mostly left to our own devices to research our academic sources and evidence, but Mr. Rivers added some important tips and information that should help us find more focused evidence.

First off, we were reminded that for the film aspect, we are looking at our films OBJECTIVELY. Since we have experience with this, we were then asked to quickly break down the different aspects of film we could look at (ex. characters), which we did within our groups. We focused around plot, and more specifically, devices that drive it like the Three Act Structure. Other groups mentioned setting, themes, topical conversations that go on within the text, and cinematic choices like shot framing or lighting.

Looking at this, Rivers mentioned that if we are able to break film down like this, we can break our central academic topic down like this as well. River's example, for instance, was World War One, which is a very expansive topic. Trying to research WW1 specifically may bring unfocused results, but researching about a specific battle or tactic would bring more focused information that will help solidify whatever your synthesis is trying to convey, so long as you are able to tie the two together. If your research is becoming progressively harder to synthesize with your film, try a different approach. Maybe that topic is great, but the new subtopic you are researching doesn't add anything to the conversation. Different approaches can help us get out of a block, and if you do feel blocked, Mr. Rivers mentioned that as always, feel free to ask questions that can help you get back on track.

With those opening notes, we had most of the period to research. With the last five (or so) minutes, Mr. Rivers brought our attention to a rubric for our Literature Review (which is accessible under the assignment's specific tab on our Classroom page). He highlighted the top segments regarding the actual review itself, and reminding us of the notes from the slideshow at the end of last week and the information we received with them. With the segment regarding MLA / APA formatting, we were told that Monday would be focused on formatting, so Mr. Rivers mentioned not to worry about that AS MUCH as the rest of the review, but know that it's important.

This is probably rehashing what has been said over and over, but getting this skill down is very important for almost any field, as knowing how to do effective research and using that research to synthesize an effective product is a key skill. All of us will, at one point or another, probably use it during college (if you decide to go to college, that is). However, one specific field where this would be most important is investigative journalism. Being able to take your topic and break it down is the most effective way to finding the most relevant knowledge for whatever you plan on writing about in order to give the most accurate and effective article.