Choosing a Topic for Research

There are things you need to know about academic writing. Let us review the guidelines for choosing a topic.

Assess your chosen topics based on the points raised in the article below:

Academic Writing and Questions to Consider in Choosing a Topic

An academic writing should be based on thoroughly selected references. Identifying and selecting sources could be a tedious process for a novice researcher but it can be done with ease if one keeps in mind what to do and what not to do in looking for and deciding to choose sources for research writing.

The Seven Steps of the Research Process

Here are more helpful information for each step:

First Step: How to Find and Develop a Viable Research Topic

Second Step: Finding Background Information

Third and Fourth Steps:

Fifth Step: Evaluating Sources

Sixth Step: Evaluate What You Find

Seventh Step: Cite What You Find and Use A Standard Format (See the APA Format)

After having gone through these readings and the must-watch videos, improve your sources (there should be at least 10 reliable sources) and decide on ONE topic for your final research. Submit at least 3 possible titles or major questions you would like to answer in your paper along with a list of reliable references in APA format. Under each reference, write a brief description of the source or reference, specifically mention what information or support does it hold to your chosen topic.

You may use yellow or white paper. Don't forget to write the date, your section and name. Deadline is on the first meeting next week (January 16-20, 2012).


"Keep writing. Keep blogging. Keep up. Keep on."

The Benefits of Blogging

I hope you've read and watched the video which were the content of my previous post. If you haven't, please go to my previous post before you continue reading on this post. It's important to understand what blogging is and how you can go about it. Most importantly, you need to keep in mind what you should and shouldn't be doing in blogging. If you have gone through my prior post (the post just before this one), you may read further and, should you have any questions or clarifications to make, please don't hesitate to ask me in class or leave a message through chat or post. Don't forget to check out my response on your online queries.

While you are getting ready for the research paper, this blogging activity will hopefully give you opportunities to express yourselves and be heard by others. It will also give you a chance to look at how others express themselves and provide you with input you may have missed or overlooked in the learning process.

Here is a MUST READ article on the benefits of blogging. Remember that as you surf through the blogs, you will find both experts and amateurs who are blogging, sharing their thoughts and ideas. Take time to read posts on topics that interest you or that concern your field of study. Right click on the title below to open a new window and read the article.

Seven Benefits of Blogging to Your Personal Growth

Students also find blogging really helpful. Here's what they have to say:

Explore for yourself what blogging can do for you. Blogging tasks will not be very often but you can, on a personal level, blog all you like on any topic that interests you as often as you want to.

Just to give you an idea on what people do when they blog, here are sample blogs written by different people for different purposes:

Family blog
Poetic expressions
Book reviews
Hobbies
On nursing
On lingusitics

The first blogging task will soon be given. For now, you may try posting anything you want on your blog just to get started and get a feel of the blogging experience.

Keep writing. Keep blogging. Keep up. Keep on.

Welcome English 2 Students of SY 2011-2012

Welcome everyone to this semester and the experience of blogging.
To start with, watch this video on how to blog.

After you have created your blogsite and are ready to start with your first blog, please read this.
Click on the topic to open a new window.

Five Blogging Etiquette Tips for Beginning Bloggers

So looking forward to your blog posts.
Keep writing. Keep blogging. Keep up. Keep on.