Ms.Emerson's ENG 2DO
Appreciative Inquiry Culminating Project
The Task
Through this culminating task you will have the opportunity to research current trends in social issues. You will complete an appreciative inquiry project to investigate the effectiveness of current solutions. There are four stages to this inquiry project and you will have three opportunities to demonstrate your learning.
STAGE ONE: Defining the Problem
· Add on to the research you completed during your speech
o Redefine your problem if necessary
o Fill in any gaps regarding factors that contribute to/cause the issue
o Find two organizations or campaigns that are working to create change on the issue
· Submit updated research notes and an updated Works Cited (Works Cited must include a minimum of 5 sources from at least 3 different types of source – i.e. news article, essay, story, website)
Doing Your Research - How to Search the Library Catalogue
Once you are at the main page, enter the subject/keywords of the topic that you are searching for. Keep in mind that spelling is really important! If you spell the word that you are looking for incorrectly, the system will assume we do not have it. We may not have books for some of the topics that you are looking for, but this is a good place to start! The link below will take you to the library catalogue for Louise Arbour S.S.
Accessing the catalogue is easy! Below are the ways that you can do so:
- Go to the applications page and click on the "Library Catalogue - Louise Arbour"
- Go to the Library Learning Commons MyClass page and click on the Library Catalogue (You can access this one from home as well).
Doing Your Research - How to Use the Databases
Once you have found the databases you will need to start searching for your topic. There are many databases to choose from and it can be a bit overwhelming. The following are a list of databases that I would highly recommend that you start with for your search:
- Britannica Online: School Edition
- Global Issues in Context
- Canadian Reference Centre
- Canadian Points of View
- Canada in Context
- Explora
These databases are the ones that you should focus on as they are most relevant the topics that you are researching. All of the databases are great sources of information. They are better than a random search on a website because you can find a lot of information here that has been written by experts in the field. You should not have to use Google for any of your research for this assignment. The databases will have what you need to get your work done!
Be aware of the search terminology that you are using. For example, searching for "homelessness" may produce many more search results than what you need for this assignment. Try to use key words to help narrow down your search. For example, if you want to find out about the impact that homelessness has on the Canadians, search for "homelessness" and "Canada". If you are not getting enough information, try to keep your search broad and general until you can find what you are looking for. Do not type in your research question!! This is not Google and you will not find what you are looking for.
Please keep in mind that you cannot click the images below to get to the databases. However, you can click on the secondary eResources link below, and that will take you directly to the databases.
Accessing the Databases From Home
Creating a Works Cited Page in MLA Format
Since this is an English assignment, you should be using the MLA style of referencing. On the Library Learning Commons MyClass page, under Class Resources, we have a number of tools that you can use to help you track your sources and create a proper works cited page. You can also use the databases to help you complete your works cited page by clicking on SourceIt. This database is Peel Board approved in terms of being a great tool to help you properly cite your work.
One of the easiest tools to use when creating a works cited page is Citation Machine. If you go to www.citationmachine.net , you can input your book, magazine, website, film or other resource and the citation will be created for you! Please keep in mind that if some parts of the citation are missing, you can easily fill them in using Citation Machine.
Finally, many of the databases create the citation for you! When you are in a database and you are looking at an article, look to the top or the left of the article to find a citation tools like (in some databases it will look like a check mark). If you click on that link and select MLA formatting, the citation will be created for you and then you can copy and paste it into your works cited page.
When completing your works cited page, there are a few key things to remember:
- It should be in alphabetical by author's last name. If there is no author, then it should be in alphabetical order by whatever letter comes first in the citation.
- The second line should be indented. You can do this by pressing "Enter" and then "Tab".
- You do not have to number your citations.
- You do not have to put your list of citations into categories (i.e. books, magazines, websites, etc.).
- You should only include resources that you actually used in your research. If you looked at it, but did not use it, it should not be included in your works cited.
WORKS CITED EXAMPLE – MLA FORMAT
Works Cited
Harris, Joanne. Five Quarters of an Orange. Boston: Harper, 2002.
Our Lady Peace. "Innocent." Gravity. Sony, 2002.
"Season One." Grey's Anatomy. Writ. Shonda Rhimes. DVD. Touchstone, 2005.
Strudwick, Leslie. Entertainers. Calgary: Weigl Educational, 2000.