Reading Response 2

 

Klein – “What Is It We Do When We Write Articles Like This”

Summary

In his article, “What Is It We Do When We Write Articles Like This,” Klein attempts to convey the main idea of his research, that of investigating and categorizing how academic writers conduct their research. He argues that only do they conduct their research in a much more complicated way than can be categorized in his model; as he feels research should; he also wants to spread this idea of complex research rather than copying encyclopedic text, because he feels that this will help prepare students for true research.

Synthesis

This article is not very similar to Greene’s article, though there is one similarity, that of trying to convince the reader to be a better researcher than what they have previously learned in high school. While Greene focuses on the flexibility of the conversation as a whole, Klein is more intent on the process of the research that Greene insists all people participate in.

Pre-reading

Out of my courses this semester, I have 2 that require researched writing. I imagine doing this research as a combination of reading on the topic coupled with conversations and discussions with my classmates and professors. To complete these projects, I will probably need access to the library, internet, and as well as with my professors and classmates to bounce ideas off of to help refine my ideas.

QD

1. Klein hits it right on the money when he talks about the high school students and their research papers, though it’s more with the internet than in a library, but the concept is the same. I actually have done more actual research in my normal essays than in my research papers. I like being able to talk to other people and to learn about different frames of mind than what I’ve already discovered or known. His method of research sound like it would accomplish the most and have the best results for the research, however I have not full used the method because that was not the method I was indoctrinated with.

3. Sources play a role in the research of professionals like Klein interviewed, but only in the sense of reference and in questing for further proof of their findings. It is much more important in past research efforts when your teacher required a certain amount of outside sources. The old method of research only had you reciting other people’s findings instead of finding your own.

4. The way I’ve done research papers isn’t quite the night long copying session he mentions, however I would do a lot more analysis of the other sources I found to analyze my own meaning from it rather than just quoting it over and over. I would spend more time looking for more general information that could help me, rather than specifically searching for information that I know I need.

Thoughts

This reading was rather interesting and shows how complex and intense all of the professionals are in their process of research. Nothing in it was overly surprising, but I thought his method of categorizing all of the different forms of research was interesting; plus I had to look up the definitions of a couple of his terms, which I don’t usually do.