In Class Work: Worked Cited List

Works Cited

Clickinbeard, Samantha, et al. "Sleep and Delinquency: Does the Amount of Sleep Matter?" Journal of Youth & Adolescence 40.7 (2011): 916-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.

Coren, Stanley. Sleep Thieves. New York: Free Press, 1997. Print.

Dement, William C. The Promise of Sleep: A Pioneer in Sleep Medicine Explores the Vital Connection Between Health, Happiness, and a Good Night's Sleep. New York: Dell, 2000. Print.

Galbraith, Kate. “Can Orange Glasses Help You Sleep Better?” New York Times. New York Times, 7 Apr. 2015. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

“How Sleep Works.” Sleep.org. National Sleep Foundation. Web. 28 Apr. 15.

“Longer Work Days Leave Americans Nodding Off On the Job.” National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation. 3 Mar. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Mooallem, Jon. “The Sleep-Industrial Complex.” New York Times. New York Times, 18 Nov. 2007. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.

Wells, Mary Ellen, and Bradley V. Vaughn. "Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation." Neurodiagnostic Journal 52.3 (2012): 233-49. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

Chapter Eight

Chapter eight deals with searching for information with digital resources. First it addresses preparing for your search. You should review any plans you have made and your research proposal. Then, figure out keywords or phrases that are common in your subject. For example, for the words "insufficient sleep" I could also search "short sleep"," sleep deprivation", "poor sleep", etc. Once you have these phrases identified, it's important to keep track of your search results and any common similarities. The rest of the chapter explains how to search online library catalogs, databases, web directories, and media search sites. We are also given a short list of good websites/resources that we could use in each section.
This chapter is very helpful, as the majority of class and home work has been finding sources. I found the parts explaining wildcards, Boolean searches and how to use limiting factors to be especially helpful. I wasn't aware you could even do that! I also learned how to limit searches to certain types of sites, for example, only government websites. I feel like a whole new world of sources is opened to me... I am confident I can find reliable sources outside of the same database I've been trying to use this whole time. Yay!

Chapter Five

Chapter five is about evaluating sources. First we learn what you should particularly examine to deem a source useful for your project, and then how to apply these same methods to different types of sources. One factor you should think about when evaluating is the relevance. How does a source help you carry out your purpose? You also need to look at the quality of evidence, how much is presented, and the way it is presented. Another factor to evaluate is both the author and the publisher. You can decide how reliable a source is in part by looking at the credentials of either. Timeliness is also important. Your project may require more recent information, so something from a decade or two ago wouldn't suffice. Another factor to look for is comprehensiveness. Does your source have a complete and balanced argument?

Chapter five is very helpful when trying to weed through sources. Deciding what's important and what will work early on in the game will definitely benefit in the long run. I thought The Bedford Researcher's tips on evaluating the author and publishers were quite helpful. The database I was using to find sources doesn't have very much information on the authors. Looking at it from a new angle will really help me learn more about them. I also appreciated the part about evaluating genre. I've felt a little fuzzy on what that particularly means. Now I understand to look more for tone formality, methods of using evidence, common organization trends, and citation styles. After reading chapter five I feel more ready to go out and tackle some sources.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six is about managing sources properly and effectively taking notes. We explore the importance of deciding how to save and organize the information we use, and how to do so consistently throughout researching our project. There are many suggested ways to do this, whether it be through online websites, apps on a phone, or simply with pen and paper. Much of the same is said about taking notes. It's important to respond to each of your sources, either by quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing. The Bedford Researcher also suggests writing down your reactions, impressions and questions about a source. Essentially you want to create a working bibliography.
This chapter goes along perfectly with what we are doing in class. I have been saving my sources and highlighting/writing very brief notes, but now I have learned how to do this much more effectively. Taking the time to summarize something helps me really learn about it and remember it. (Hey... I'm doing that now!) So I think doing that with my sources will be very beneficial to my writing process. It will also make it easier to more quickly identify sources, if I can look briefly at what the source contains instead of just at a title, link, or author.

First Three Sources

Source One:

Wells, Mary Ellen, and Bradley V. Vaughn. "Poor Sleep Challenging the Health of a Nation." Neurodiagnostic Journal 52.3 (2012): 233-49. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
Click here for link

2. In what ways are the information, ideas, and arguments in the source relevant to your research writing project?

The information and arguments perfectly align with my project. This source explores the outcomes of poor sleep, stress, drowsy driving, drug abuse, mortality, effects on well being, costs to economy, sleep tips, research in medicine, and the importance of keeping the public informed. Basically everything I wanted and more. 

3. Is the line of argument in the source sound and well supported? In what ways can you use it in your project?

The line of argument is sound and well supported (4 pages of references). I can use it to bring lots of information from other studies into my project. However, I need to be careful because this is a secondary source, mostly being a review of dozens of studies and books and other articles. 

4. What have you learned about the author and publisher that would lead you to accept, question, or reject the line of argument presented in the source?

The first author has a RPSGT, R. EEG T, R.NCS.T., and MS. So I think I accept her line of argument. 

5. In what ways does the publication date of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The publication date is September 2012, which is recent enough the research should still be current with scientific findings. However, some of the sources the article refers to are much older, which I will have to watch out for. 

6. In what ways does the comprehensiveness of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The source is an inclusive and extensive study of poor sleep, encompassing a broad range of issues and thoroughly researching each. 

7. In what ways does the genre of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

I'm not sure how useful this source will be because it is a review of other studies. All the information contained is from any of the 80 different articles and studies the authors cited. 

8. In what ways could this source help you achieve your purpose and address the needs and interests of your readers?

This source could help me by giving me scientific evidence and studies to present my argument with. 

9. How are you likely to use this source in your project?

I am likely to use it by summarizing their findings... we will see. 

Source Two:

Clickinbeard, Samantha, et al. "Sleep and Delinquency: Does the Amount of Sleep Matter?" Journal of Youth & Adolescence 40.7 (2011): 916-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
Click for article

2. In what ways are the information, ideas, and arguments in the source relevant to your research writing project?

The information and ideas mainly answer the question: How does a lack of sleep affect adolescents? Although it is looking at one specific part, I can use a lot of the information. 

3. Is the line of argument in the source sound and well supported? In what ways can you use it in your project?

It is sound and well supported. Since it is a direct report of a study conducted, I can use it as a primary source to support my arguments. 

4. What have you learned about the author and publisher that would lead you to accept, question, or reject the line of argument presented in the source?

I accept the author's line of argument because of the careful procedures used to conduct the study. The results and limitations are fully discussed, with any questions being addressed as topics for future studies. The author's draw their hypothesis on a number of other trusted sources. 

5. In what ways does the publication date of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The publication date is July 2011, so it is a recent enough study that can support my paper.

6. In what ways does the comprehensiveness of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The source begins by explaining how sleep deprivation has a number of negative effects, including the way the brain operates. The author's use this then to drive the question of their main study. The way the source encompasses lots of information, but also very detailed information about a specific issue will be really helpful. 

7. In what ways does the genre of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The article is an analysis of raw information from a large study. This primary source will be very useful in supporting my arguments. 

8. In what ways could this source help you achieve your purpose and address the needs and interests of your readers?

This source could help me by giving me scientific evidence and a primary study to present my argument with. 

9. How are you likely to use this source in your project?

I am likely to use it by both presenting their findings and summarizing their potential solutions and ideas. 

Source Three: 

Taillard, Jaques, Pierre Philip, and Bernard Bioulac. "Morningness/Eveningness and the Need for Sleep." Journal of Sleep Research 8.4 (1999): 291-95. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Apr 2015.
Article can be found here.

2. In what ways are the information, ideas, and arguments in the source relevant to your research writing project?

The information may not align perfectly with my project (it is very specific). The goal of this source is to look at the effect of morningness/eveningness on sleep/wake schedules. I might be able to use some of the evidence found to support my project. 

3. Is the line of argument in the source sound and well supported? In what ways can you use it in your project?

The line of argument is sound and well supported with their findings and other sources. I can use it do define morningness/eveningness in my paper if I need to. It is also another primary study. 

4. What have you learned about the author and publisher that would lead you to accept, question, or reject the line of argument presented in the source?

I accept the line of argument because of the way the study was carefully conducted and discussed. 

5. In what ways does the publication date of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The publication date is 1999. It's a little old, but I believe the study is still relevant and consistent with today's findings. 

6. In what ways does the comprehensiveness of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The source is very specific study, so I am not sure how useful it will be. If I end up touching on it's information in my paper it will be helpful. 

7. In what ways does the genre of the source affect your judgement of its usefulness for your project?

The genre could be useful because it is a report of a specific study done, giving me a primary source to support my arguments with. 

8. In what ways could this source help you achieve your purpose and address the needs and interests of your readers?

This source could help me by giving me scientific evidence and a primary study to present my argument with. 

9. How are you likely to use this source in your project?

I am not entirely sure if I will use it. It is only 5 pages so it cannot be one of my main sources. May be helpful as a specific study though. 

Chapter Four - Reading Critically

Chapter four moves us into part II of the book, which is about working with sources. This chapter is specifically focused on reading critically. It's important to read actively and with an attitude. How do you read with an attitude? The Bedford Researcher describes it as simply being critical. You take nothing at face-value, ask lots of questions, and are open to ideas and arguments you don't agree with. As for reading actively, we are given a few strategies. These include highlighting, annotating, and taking notes on sources. Finally, the chapter talks about what we should pay attention to as we read. This includes looking for primary or secondary sources, what the main points and reasons are, uses of evidence, methods of analysis, and similarities with other sources.
Sources can be pretty daunting. Reading though many and picking useful ones is challenging. This chapter lays out the whole process out for us, from the attitude we should take when first reading to the detailed analysis of appeals and frameworks in each source. I personally liked the parts about how to read more actively, and what to pay attention to. Printing up an article and being able to really mark it up seems like it could be helpful to me. I also like the idea of writing out questions beforehand to answer about each source. Again, can be tedious, but that kind of work keeps me focused on what I am reading. Here's to being a more critical reader!

Exercise Chapter 1 (Nevermind this post)

-Ignore this-

Just sorting out ideas about ideas and deciding how to make a decision on this darn thing. I like to write about what I'm writing about. Probably need to sleep instead. .-. Oh wells.

Generating Ideas about my Topic

Which is, oh, what a coincidence: Sleep! 
Disclaimer: Topic subject to change... again.

What do I want to accomplish with this project?
Umm meet the requirements and so pass English 102.

What interests me personally about this topic?
It affects me, particularly 1/3 of my life! I think learning more about it will help me make healthier habits in the future.

What interests me academically about this project?
It's got a scientific background. I'm not sure if that's the path I will choose but maybe I can get my toes wet writing and working with some information.

Who are my readers?
First, my professor. My classmates, who towards the end of the quarter will review and give feedback on my paper. And anyone who happens to stumble upon my blog!

What topics do my readers need to read about?
I don't know... things that will help them improve their life?

What topics would my readers like to read about?
Things that are helpful and applicable to them. I like this topic idea because everyone sleeps. So it could be applicable to everyone! It also is kind of off the wall, interesting information that isn't filled with subjective reasoning or dogmatism.
___________________________________________________

Writing about sleep will help me accomplish the following purposes: 
I am personally interested in sleep because I want to know how important it is to my life. Do I sleep enough?

Freewriting about response: 
I feel like a lot of America doesn't realize how important sleep is. I heard somewhere that the number of car crashes caused by drowsy drivers are higher than those caused by drunk drivers! That's pretty crazy. I don't think our society takes sleep seriously enough. The amount of workers working shifts that are too long can account for this too. (Medical and transportation related). Perhaps I could go into studies on the negative effects of too little sleep. Both in the work world and in the health world. How does it affect your body? Your brain? Does it affect children, teens, adults, or seniors differently? What about differences in countries? Do other countries sleep more on average?
But also, how can I make this a persuasive argument and not just an informative collection of data?
hm.

Chapter Two Response

Chapter two is all about exploring your topic and focusing on an issue. Exploring the topic is not merely cruising around reading bits of information. Instead, The Bedford Researcher advises us to make a plan of action, discuss our topic with others, find ways to observe facets of our topic, and review sources.
The second part of the chapter deals with narrowing and focusing your research question to one specific issue. You start this by identifying conversations about the topic, assessing your personal interest in each issue and then choosing one.

I found this chapter helpful as it defines the preliminary "exploring" a research writer should do. Maybe it's obvious to other people, but it was refreshing for me to read an actual guide for those first writing steps. Something common throughout each part of this chapter was the word 'ask'. You should constantly be asking yourself questions. Who do I know that can give me advice? Where can I go to learn more? Why is this source credible? What interests me in this issue of the topic? There are many and it might be a little tedious. But I think actually following along and answering the questions seems like it will be really helpful to me for developing the ability to think (and write) critically.

A Look at Chapter One

Chapter one in The Bedford Researcher is split into two parts; the first is an overview on writing with confidence and the second is on choosing a topic. 

In the first, we learn how it is important to take ownership of our project, understand writing processes and manage sources. It also talks about understanding the genre a document is presented in and the importance of that genre’s design. As writing is a form of communication, considering the readers is very important to the writing process. Context and technology roles are also examined.

The second part is about choosing an appropriate topic, with regard to the assignment, our readers, the role we take, and the contexts that exist. There are plenty of helpful ideas on how to generate ideas about topics, and then pick the right one for your situation.

We have been working on selecting topics in class and this chapter is very appropriate. I found some suggestions, particularly the research log and project timeline, to be interesting and potentially very useful. I like one paragraph that talks about finding a topic that will keep you motivated as you write. It challenges us to “Look for topics that can help you pursue your personal, professional, and academic interests.” It’s important to think about our readers, but how can we expect them to be interested if we aren’t ourselves? 

Choosing a good topic is probably one of the hardest parts of writing for me. The Bedford Reader comes to the rescue and walks us through practical techniques, like brainstorming and free writing, to help generate ideas and narrow topics. These will definitely be helpful to start exploring topic ideas. 

Possible Topics for Final Essay:

Nature vrs. Nurture Is intelligence inherited or learned?
Are traits like leadership inherited or learned?

Evolution vrs. Creationism 
Specifically looking at one sub-field/topic:

Biology (Homologies) http://creationontheweb.com/images/pdfs/tj/j15_1/j15_1_26-33.pdf
Geology
Embryology
Paleontology
Human Genetic Variations
Age of Earth