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.
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