11.19 Short Analysis project, Introductions, Transcripts,and Data analyis

Short analysis discussion. We started class with a discussion of where we are in terms of how you can apply what you learned from writing your short analysis as you begin to work on your research project.  Some of your observations were as follows.

1.  The research question drives the essay.  It determines the focus and your categories of analysis.  to present a research question, you do not need to write "my research question is. . ." - but you do need to make clear, in specific terms, the focus, categories of analysis, and the purpose of your study. 

Some of the moves to set up a research question include:
This essay focuses on. . .
In this essay, I examine (explore, take a close look at how. . .). . . >  In particular, I describe (whatever) in terms of (your categories for analysis).
Look at the sample essays for further examples of how authors present their research question and categories of analysis. 

2. Writing into what you know and getting your best approximation of what you are thinking puts you in a position for feedback.  Lots of you felt "fuzzy" about what you were expected to do - and writing this paper created an opportunity for you to receive feedback on what fit the assignment expectations, and what was not quite on the mark.

3. The essay needs to include lots of specific examples from the data to illustrate/"prove" the points you want to make regarding your research question.
The form for presenting examples is as follows.

• Set up a point relevant to your research question.
•  Present a chunk of data from your transcript, observations, or other source.  Use to format for block quotes (see Purdue OWL).
•  Discuss the transcript/data excerpt by making specific references to language in the quote.  Make statements about what the quote as a whole/and the particular language moves show with respect to your research question.

4.  Use writing studies discourse.  Use the language/ideas we have been discussing in this course.
Discourse= identity
discourse= the way a group of people use language
Discourse Community= a group of people who share an identity which includes the way they talk, their belief systems, and their literate practices.

This includes creating the right stance toward your research participants, data, and readers.  Writing studies tends to relate to participants from the ethnographic perspective, where the focus is on understanding their world view from their perspective (without judging it as correct/incorrect or as right/wrong). 

You did a GREAT job on this project, and I am well aware that it was challenging to write an essay were you were unsure of the discourse, the focus, and the content!   Good job turning in great essays, and I am hoping the feedback will allow you to continue to gather confidence and expertise which you can then apply to your research project.

Short analysis GRADES:  As stated in class, if you receive a higher grade on your research project essay, you will receive that score for your short analysis.  My reasoning is that if you have learned more about writing research essays and are able to apply it in the research essay, I will give you credit for that learning.


Review of forms/"moves" for writing research essays (focus on set up)
We reviewed the assignment sheet for the research essay and we came up with the following list of moves:

1. Set up the importance of your study
2. background: including review of the literature + definition of terms
3. present research question
4. methods
5. presentation and analysis of data (see requirements for Short Analysis essay)
6  discussion of findings
7. conclusions

We spent the rest of class examining the set up (the first four moves) in three sample essays (read earlier in the course = links at previous post).

You identified exactly WHERE and how each author made these moves, and noted some of the language author's used for each move.  I am hoping you took notes, or can go back to the essays because I was so interested/involved in your discussions I did not write down all your good observations.

Creating transcripts/analyzing data.
We spent the rest of class looking at some of the data you have collected (posted on your blogs), noting the forms in your transcripts, and talking through processes for coming up with categories for analysis or looking for features of the data.

DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR PARTICIPANT'S NAME ANYWHERE IN YOUR WRITTEN NOTES, ANALYSIS or TRANSCRIPTION.  ALWAYS refer to your participant by a pseudonym (false name).  You may refer to yourself by your real name, but not your participant.  Also, remove any identifiers that will reveal your participant's identity.

Not allowed:  M teaches first grade at Jersey City PS 2122, on North Avenue. 
Recommended:  M teaches at a small (400 students) urban grade school in northern New Jersey.

Analysis: As pointed out in this discussion, analyzing data is a cyclical process.  Researchers often begin by looking at their data in light of their research question, but then, once they have spent some time with the data and noticed patterns, they often modify their research question => which sends them back to their data with new perspectives, which may again lead to modifying the research question.

You are doing a great job so far!

After your presentations, I directed you to the Sample transcript and the Edited transcript, and we talked through a process for analyzing your "raw" data by looking for (and analyzing) "stories".  We then noted how the form of the data's representation changes in terms of the researcher's interpretations for what the data "shows."  Good participation in this discussion!


For next class:
More presentations on data/analysis so far; in-class workshop on data analysis and drafting
Blog 14:  Data (if you have not already posted it already); 
Blog 15:  any section of your essay you want feedback on (or a marked up transcript) = anything you want to work on in class.

Great class this evening.  It feels like this class is coming together.