Interview and Source Information

Hello class! This page will host information about the interview, and it will grow throughout the upcoming weeks as we discuss attribution in detail.

Interview

Request an Interview:

The interview can be conducted via face-to-face, email, phone, or Skype.

Dear Professor/Ms./Mr.Dr. [Name],

For my writing class, I am doing research about [a problem within my field, which is _________] , and would like to interview you, informally, on this topic [in person, via email, phone, or Skype].

If you are willing, I would only need 30 minutes of your time. I would like to use a tape recorder during the interview.

If an interview is amenable to you, here are several times in the next [week] when I could come to your office: [list times here].

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Prepare for an Interview: 

1. You need someone to shed light on the problem or validate your solution to the problem. 
2. Think of a person who knows you and your field very well. 
3. Then, come up with 8-10 questions that will lead to information about the problem or solution that is being discussed in your analytical report. 
4. You want detailed information, so you must ensure that you have a variety of questions: yes/no with follow-ups or open-ended questions. 

At the Interview:

1. Start by thanking the person.
2. Explain your research.
3. Ask your questions, and don't hesitate to ask other questions that come to you as you listen.
4. Take accurate notes as the interviewee responds.
5. End with a “Thank you!” Ask if you can contact her or him for clarifications.

Afterward:  

1. Send a thank you e-mail or note.
2. Call or e-mail for clarifications(Wysocki and Lynch 78).

After conducting the interview, please hang onto your notes because you must include the interview in your Work Cited page. Also, your questions and responses will be included in the report. After all, it is all about attribution! :-) If you have questions about the process, post a comment!

Attribution

Now that we are beginning our Proposal Extravaganza, we need to understand what "attribution" truly means. Before we even discuss attribution, please watch the following videos about Plagiarism:

Hopefully, these videos will help you understand the process of interacting with other texts while composing your own text. Whenever you are in doubt, please revisit the Purdue OWL website. You have several guides at your disposal, and they are all free. :-)

I would like to give a special thanks to Kirby Ferguson who posted these amazing videos to YouTube.


Finding Sources
As part of your assignment, you have to find three different academic databases. You can explore databases via the Lima Campus Library.

You can see a section that says "Find Articles," and this section is what you will use for this assignment. You can work from home or campus, but in order to access the databases, you must click on the option that specifies your location. There is also another link that contains popular databases for each major. It is listed below the location.

Using a field specific database could help you find more materials that are relevant to your topic. The last thing you want to do is sift through hundreds of articles that are irrelevant to your topic. Research smartly!!! Use the advanced search option with key terms and their synonyms. More importantly, click the full-text option so that you will be able to find only full articles, not just abstracts. Then, you will want to provide the search with specified dates to ensure that all of your information is up-to-date and accurate. You don't want to propose a solution to a problem that is no longer a problem anymore. The last tid bit of advice is to skim the articles to see if you can use them. After you find your 3 articles, create a grid to show yourself what the articles have in common or not. Research is a long endeavor. Don't rush it! You want to find sources that are appropriate to your topic; you  want to use information that supports your claims.