LANG 2070 -English Communication for Humanities and Social Science Studies I: Start

The Assignment: Preparing Background & Evidence for Stance & Arguments

Infographic presentation
Students will present research data or information using infographic, a graphic format designed to make the data easily understandable at a glance

Self-Reflection on Research Tools and Process
A library workshop has been specially designed to show students a range of research tools to facilitate their finding of relevant articles and or databases for their research.

After the lesson, students are required to write a short piece using a to self-refect  on their research method: their choice of research tools (e.g. Proquest, PowerSearch, Statista, etc.) and describe the choices they made on search tools, search and research process, as well as sources (e.g. academic articles, book chapters, data sets, etc.) selected for their infographic & write-up.

• What tools you used to search
• Why you chose them
• How you used the tools
• How and why you selected the information and data  you used in your infographic from the search tools you used

Students need to demonstrate how they applied the knowledge and information they receive from the library class. Tools and process should match what was used in the infographic presentation.

Search & Research are different ¹. As developing scholars, you will need to do both.

• Know the answer or have a "hoped for answer"? = Search
  • How many "left behind" children are there in China
• Don't know the answer; not sure of the question? = Research
  • What are the factors that lead "left behind" rural children in China have better or worse educational outcomes than those living with parents?
     

1. Wilkinson, Lane. (2014, July 15). Is research inquiry? [blog post] . Retrieved from: https://senseandreference.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/is-research-inquiry/

Topics for Infographic for LANG 2070 - spring 2020

1. A regional mindset is more beneficial than a global mindset.
2. Being a slashie is conducive to an individual's career development. 
3. It is in the better interest of the minorities to be integrated with the mainstream society than calling attention to their identities. 
4. The laws of legal age need to be updated

Here are some suggested books and sites on conveying quantitative information graphically.

• Atlas of the Invisible: maps & graphics that will change how you see the world / by  James Cheshire & Oliver Uberti  (Call no. G1046 .E1 C4 2021)
  • Book's website, section for educators
  • Blog
• Information is Beautiful / by David McCandless (Call no. AG250 . M333 2012) -
  •   David McCandless's website : https://informationisbeautiful.net/
• Edward Tufte's ground-breaking works:
  • Beautiful Evidence (call no. P93.5 .T837 2006 )
  • Visual and statistical thinking : displays of evidence for making decisions (call no. HA31 .T84 1997)
  • The visual display of quantitative information (Call no. QA276.3 .T83 1983 )
  • Visual explanations : images and quantities, evidence and narrative (call no. P93.5 .T846 1997)
    • articles & short pieces from Tufte's website

Also, search the Library Catalog for the subject: Information visualization

Things to think about...

“The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write: a man [sic] will turn over half a library to make one book.”
 

― Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 2  by John Boswell - (Project Gutenberg edition)

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. When we enquire into any subject, the first thing we have to do is to know what books have treated of it. This leads us to look at catalogues, and the backs of books in libraries.' 

― Samuel Johnson, The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Vol 2  by John Boswell - (Project Gutenberg edition)

Sourced from here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/22191.Samuel_Johnson