Research for a Position Paper - Globalization

Premise

Darla has to write a position paper for her Freshman English course. She needs to pick a controversial topic and investigate the arguments on both sides, then write a paper explaining her own position on the issue, supported by a variety of secondary sources. Darla isn't sure what she wants to write her paper about, but she's heard a lot about globalization in the news and figures that's a good place to start.

Preliminary Discussion

This is a common scenario in undergraduate education: Darla needs help researching and writing a paper on a topic she doesn't know much about and which may have little to do with her major. What's more, she may have little understanding of the types of information resources available to her and how to apply them to her project.

Asking students where they turn to when they need to know anything about anything usually results in answers like the Internet, Google, or Wikipedia. This provides an opportunity to demonstrate the vast quantities of information available and the need to narrow the topic to something more specific. This opportunity may also be taken to demonstrate principles of information literacy relevant to the Internet, such as timeliness, credibility, bias, etc.

Narrowing the Topic

During the preliminary discussion it should be made clear that the first question Darla must ask herself is "What about globalization?" - what aspect of this vast topic does she want to focus on?

The librarian can discuss a variety of resources (including the aforementioned Internet sources) that will provide introductory or background information about globalization, giving Darla enough general knowledge to determine which direction she wants to take her paper in. Possibilities include specialized encyclopedias like Globalization: Encyclopedia of Trade, Labor, and Politics, edited by Ashish K. Vaidya and published by ABC-CLIO in 2006. Databases providing content at this level are another good source, such as CQ Researcher or Gale's Opposing Viewpoints Research Center.

If the librarian demonstrates an online resource that multiple users can access, students should be invited to spend several minutes using the resource to explore the topic of globalization. Putting themselves in Darla's shoes, several volunteers can be invited to point out items they found interesting and explain which aspect of globalization it might lead them to focus on.

Further Discussion

The librarian can select an idea from one of the volunteers and use it to re-frame the research problem. For example, rather than just globalization, the more narrow topic may be globalization and child labor. Students may find it helpful to couch the topic as a question: "Does globalization cause suffering by encouraging child labor?" Students can then think of their research process as the quest to find an answer to this question, and the resulting paper or presentation as an expression of their answer to the question.

Scholarly Resources

The librarian can now focus students' attention on resources that will help them delve further into the narrowed topic. This is a good opportunity to discuss the differences between scholarly and non-scholarly resources, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of books, newspaper articles, magazine articles, and peer-reviewed articles.

An index or full-text database containing scholarly journals with relevant content should be demonstrated, preferably one that allows the demonstration of controlled vocabulary, Boolean operators, filters, and other tools. Students should then be given time to explore the database, with the purpose of finding articles that would help provide an answer to the research question. Several should be invited to share their discoveries.

Non-Scholarly Resources

If appropriate to the students' needs, a resource for non-scholarly articles could also be demonstrated. Students could be given time to explore this resource, with the task of finding articles that demonstrate the strengths of such sources, such as currency or coverage of tightly focused topics.

Depending on the resources used, this section could be combined with the previous section.

Books (Optional)

The librarian may also demonstrate how to identify relevant books, find them in the library, and determine whether they are scholarly and whether other issues, such as bias, may affect the content.

Wrap Up

To conclude the librarian should rehearse the progress made in narrowing the topic and framing it as a research question. While doing so the librarian should reiterate the principles of information literacy discovered, using the examples provided by students volunteers as evidence when possible. Students should be reminded that different approaches or strategies may be more appropriate for other topics, but that those principles of information literacy still apply.

Submitted By

Andy Spackman
Business and Economics Librarian
Brigham Young University
andy_spackman@byu.edu
http://www.lib.byu.edu/business/

Originally Submitted: September 28, 2009