Understanding Research Assignments

Understanding Research Assignments

• Effective research assignments require a clear reason for writing.
• Instructors may focus on structure, techniques, or exploring events.
• Literature might require analyzing structure and poetic techniques.
• Education assignments may focus on curriculum merits.
• History may require examining specific events and strategies.

Understanding Terminology

• Assignments across disciplines require evaluation, interpretation, causal analysis, etc.
• Literature, history, and fine arts might focus on evaluation, interpretation, and causal analysis.
• Education, psychology, and social sciences may ask for analysis, definition, comparisons, or precedent research.
• Scientific assignments might involve experiments and implications of findings.

Evaluation

• Evaluation involves clear criteria and explaining how a subject meets those criteria.
• Criteria differ by discipline, but generally include interest in topic/knowledge & thoroughness.
• Evaluating a poem includes examining form and structure, evaluating a movie involves considering special effects, etc..
• Evaluation requires personal experience and final judgment, not just relying on sources.
• A student example, Sarah Bemis, changed her focus from the disease itself to the control methods.

Interpretation

• Interpretation involves explaining "what does it mean?".
• Interpreting questions often include examining the passage's meaning, the implication results, etc.
• Interpretations may involve understanding symbolism in literature, legal points, and analyzing data.
• Interpretation often requires explaining the reading to others.