This activity motivates students of communication research methods by challenging them to face their personal epistemologies. We introduce them to a set of formal ways of knowing and match these with their personal justifications for knowledge. Through this exercise, students learn that the scientific method is worthy of study not just to pass a…

Conducting research and reporting the results are at the heart of academic work, yet many teachers hesitate to incorporate student research projects into their curriculum because they're unsure of how or where to begin. In "Student Research Done Right!" Lisa Scherff and Leslie S. Rush make the case that all high school and college…

In this new book from Routledge and MiddleWeb, author Angie Miller shows how you can turn your students into informed citizens by teaching them how to research effectively. In today's information-saturated world research skills have moved beyond fact-finding, into fact-sifting, fact-sorting, and fact-assessing. Miller shows you how to help…

Designing your own study and writing your research proposal takes time, often more so than conducting the study. This practical, accessible guide walks you through the entire process. You will learn to identify and narrow your research topic, develop your research question, design your study, and choose appropriate sampling and measurement…

New research points to the future of education as online, student-centered, collaborative, and community-based--all largely absent from today's educational landscape. This timely guide shows middle, high school, and college students how to undertake research to address challenges in their curriculum and communities. The approach is deliberately…

A little imagination, a little drama, a little mystery. Using the guided inquiry model in this updated, second edition, students become detectives at Information Headquarters. They solve a mystery-and enhance their problem-solving and literacy skills. Middle school is a crucial time in the development of problem-solving, critical-thinking, and…

Describes a research project which demonstrates to college-level psychology students the differences between experimental and correlational research methods. The project consisted of an examination of the relationships between rewards and helping and costs and helping in a nonemergency situation. (Author/KC)

Presents guidelines for supervising an undergraduate student doing research, including a sample contract set up between the student and the supervisor. The contract may state the research topic, objective, procedures, laboratory requirements, costs, schedule, additional projects, and grading criteria. Other suggestions include scheduled meetings…

Described are methods that secondary students can use in social science research projects. They include case studies, interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. (RM)

The traditional research paper is a hothouse flower, existing only in the quiet recesses of English departments. There is much research being done outside the university but approach, format, and philosophy of both research and the research paper differ dramatically from the models presented to students. Classes on the writing of research papers…

Remote sensing analysis and statistical methods were used to analyze the coastal dunes of Plum Island, Massachusetts. The research methodology used provides an example of a student project for remote sensing, geomorphology, or spatial analysis courses at the university level. (RM)

This guide to the Research Process is a four-day diary of scripted research lessons. It is based on a generic concept of research and addresses the ever-increasing need for methods to manage information in a practical way, explaining how to teach research. The lessons and strategies are all based on authentic teaching experiences, and the…

Describes a process for teaching middle school students how to do research. Topics addressed include student attitudes; five major components of the research process; choosing topics that interest the students personally; assessing student progress; and benefits to the students. (LRW)

In presearch, students can develop an overview of a search topic; a graphic organizer in the form of a web can be used. The browse and hypertext features of electronic encyclopedias enable students to explore topics and develop search strategies. The information-gathering process should be holistic and nonlinear. (AEF)

Argues for the long-term values of client-based group projects (lasting five to six weeks) in an introductory technical communication course. Presents survey results from 73 former technical communication students with two to seven years of workplace experience. Concludes these projects reinforce research, analysis, and reporting skills, such as…