ap seminar final

Complex Issue

A real world topic or academic problem that involves multiple perspectives, is multifaceted, and requires in-depth analysis and research to understand.

Stakeholder

An individual or group that has an interest in any decision or activity of an organization, situation, or issue.

What are the 8 lenses through which we can view a complex issue?

1. Political/historical

2. Social/cultural

3. Philosophical/artistic

4. Scientific

5. Environmental

6. Economic

7. Futuristic

8. Ethical

What are the four aspects you can use to narrow your research topic?

1. Time

2. Place (region)

3. People

4. Event

Tier 1 source

peer reviewed academic publications

Tier 2 source

Reports, articles, and books from credible nonacademic sources

Tier 3 source

Short pieces from newspapers or credible websites

Tier 4 source

Agenda-driven or uncertain pieces

What are the six criteria for a GOOD research question?

1. FOCUSED

2. RESEARCHABLE

3. FEASIBLE

4. SPECIFIC

5. COMPLEX OPEN, NOT CLOSED

6. RELEVANT

FOCUSED

a single problem or issue

RESEARCHABLE

using primary and or secondary sources

FEASIBLE

able to answer within the time frame and practical constraints

SPECIFIC

able to answer thoroughly

COMPLEX OPEN, NOT CLOSED

complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis, multiple answers are possible

RELEVANT

relevant to your field and or society more broadly

Sufficient evidence

evidence that is adequate to support the conclusion

Relevant evidence

evidence the supports the conclusion

Reliable evidence

evidence that is credible and comes from reliable sources (tier 1-3)

What is an argument?

Statement intended to determine the degree of truth or acceptability

What is synthesis?

The ability to combine clearly and coherently the ideas of more than one source with your own line of reasoning

What does it mean to conduct a lateral search?

Researching a source while reading it, see what other sources say about the organization and its claims. Investigate the source, find the original source, and dinf trusted work.

What does it mean to go upstream?

Going to a specific source, find and verify the information and trace it back to its originality to determine the credibility of a source and supporting evidence.