Week 13: In-Class Exam

Directions:  On a conscious — or even an unconscious — level, the book you read for the In-Class Exam affected your own writing and your approach to your research as you worked on your I-Search paper. And as we all are beginning to realize, the times you’re living in affect your writing and approach, too.

Write a developed, cohesive essay, exploring the Effect of this exam book upon your research, at this time we’re living in, and consider how the authors were impacted by the times and conditions they were living in. Include a References Page at the end of your exam: provide a Reference Page entry for your exam book.

Consider some of the following questions:   

• Describe and Define the author’s research methods—what is the Process she used to obtain information?
• Analyze the author’s use of data, from statistics, to “personal communications” (such as interviews, including informal conversations), to quotations, to personal journals or diaries. How effective were these sources?
• Explore the Causes that affected the author’s ability to obtain sources. Are the sources credible? Are they relevant and valid? Are there sufficient sources and did he integrate them effectively into his book?
• Explore how the author’s methods affected your own choices as you searched for sources and as you incorporated sources in your I-Search paper. Compare and Contrast your research methods to the methods used by the author of your Exam book. What sort of Effect did this book have on your own research process?
• Use Examples/Illustration from both the book and your own I-Search paper: you will need to summarize, paraphrase, and quote from your Exam book — include at least two in-text citations (APA style), with author’s last name and the year of publication provided in parentheses, directly after any summary or paraphrase. Provide the p. # for all direct quotes.
• Consider the passage of time as well: what unintended consequences or unforeseen effects have occurred since the book’s publication

Tutorial for In-Class Exam