Sign In
Not register? Register Now!
Essay Available:
Pages:
7 pages/≈1925 words
Sources:
2 Sources
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Literature & Language
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 25.2
Topic:

Employment and Employee Relations. Management Essay

Essay Instructions:

Inquiry-Driven Research Project

Full Draft

 

The Task

 

“Wernher von Braun, an engineer whose inventions advanced the U.S. space program in the mid-21st century, famously describes research as, ‘What I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.’” (qtd. in Wierszewski). That’s where you’ve been over these past few weeks. You’ve generated questions and then spent time looking for evidence and concepts to help you answer those questions -- blissfully (I hope!) going where your curiosity has taken you.

 

By now, having spent some time in blissful curiosity, you should have at least some sense of what you’re doing. In order to write a full draft (which is precisely what this prompt is asking you to do) you’ll need to explain what your blissful curiosity has revealed to you -- this time, to other academics.

 

When an academic sits down to read an inquiry-driven research paper, they’ll likely be expecting the following:

  • The paper should be clear about the question it’s investigating
  • The paper should thoroughly and clearly summarize the research being used, explaining the evidence the researcher has gathered and clearly explaining the source of that evidence
  • The paper should indicate how the research being discussed aids in answering the initial inquiry
  • The paper should indicate the subsequent inquiries that have emerged and aid the reader in navigating how the researcher investigated those inquiries
  • The paper should display the researcher’s critical thinking about the research, including synthesizing evidence in order to more fully address the inquiry at the heart of the project


In short, this academic reader is expecting you to take them on a journey of learning. Just as Roach continually raised questions to keep the reader following along with her inquiry development, so too will you need to include clear signals for your readers so they can easily explore your inquiry with you.

The approach you take (Developing Descendant Inquiries), and the writerly moves you make, are yours to choose.  So long as you keep in mind your audience (fellow curious academics), your purpose (to explain what your curiosity has revealed), the genre of this task (a research essay), and your exigence (the issue that led to your curosity in the first place), you’ll be able to make effective, purposeful choices.


The Terms

  • 6-8 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font with MLA citations. Please also include a Works Cited page. (Recall that both Google Scholar and UMBrella can automatically generate MLA 8th edition citations for you)
  • At least 2 scholarly (aka peer-reviewed) secondary sources, at least 1 set of primary source data (observation, interview, survey, etc.), and at least 1 additional source of your choosing: scholarly, non-scholarly, or primary
  • Due: Tuesday, March 26th, posted to Schoology by the start time of class
  • Worth 30 points in the “Everything Else” category (or 3% of your final grade). However, as this is a draft, I will be reading it mostly for completeness, so don’t worry if this version isn’t yet perfect

 

 

Developing Descendant Inquiries

Inquiry-driven research means, quite literally, that inquiries drive the research process.  That means that answering your initial research question does not signal the end of your research; instead, it means the information you find can open up another inquiry ripe for exploration. Here are some ways you might pursue descendant inquiries:

 

The Thorough Thinker: This is the work of a very detailed and thorough researcher. This paper starts with an initial inquiry, spends a good deal of time answering it, and then raises a follow-up inquiry from there and spends the remainder of the time investigating that subsequent question.

 

Initial Inquiry: What makes some sports speeches motivational and other ones lame?

Discovery: Timing is important: outside motivation has a short “shelf-life” so a half-time speech can get you pumped up but a speech at a dinner the night before doesn’t have a lasting impact.  

Descendant Inquiry: Then how do we increase our motivation so that it lasts longer?

 

The Eager Explorer: This is the work of a truly curious researcher. One piece of information leads to a new question, which leads to additional research… which then leads to even more questions! (This one is a lot like Roach’s essay.)  


Initial Inquiry: What makes advertisements so effective at getting us to buy things?

Discovery: Commercials portray a lifestyle we want to have but can’t without the product

Descendant Inquiry: Why do we never seem satisfied with what we have?

Discovery: There’s a term for this! “Hedonic adaptation” which is the tendency to quickly adapt to major life events/changes and return to a base level of happiness

Descendant Inquiry: So, if we just keep winding up back at our base level of happiness, is there anything that can influence our happiness in a meaningful or permanent way?

Discovery: When I surveyed people, I found that 84% thought that money could influence their baseline level of happiness permanently.

Descendant Inquiry: I wonder what the scholars have to say about this. Obviously we need some money to satisfy basic needs, but is there a set amount we need to reach to have a significant impact on our happiness? Or, do we just think money will help but it really won’t have an impact?

 

The Intensive Inquisitor: This is the approach the truly inquisitive take. One discovery leads to a number of subsequent inquiries.  The writer might dive into one fully (going for the Thorough Thinker ultimately) or take on a number of them in order to more fully and completely address their initial question.


Initial Inquiry: How come some false ideas gain traction over time (the Mandela Effect)

Discovery: Apparently a lot of ideas on this: false memories, incorrect recall, collective reality

Descendant Inquiry: Does this explain why people don’t believe in climate change?

Descendant Inquiry: What’s the most significant “collective reality” that’s shaped history?

Descendant Inquiry: Are there ways people can improve recall?

Descendant Inquiry: What are the implications of these theories in the digital age such as hearing information in Tweets or on FB constantly reinforcing ideas?

Descendant Inquiry: I wonder what others have done to avoid falling into these mind traps?

Essay Sample Content Preview:
Employment and Employee Relations
Student Name
Course
Professor’s Name
University
City (State)
Date
Employment and Employee Relations
Introduction
There are two broad methods of analysis namely, inductive and deductive. While the inductive is defines as the movement from the specific to the general, the deductive does the reverse and starts with the general and completes with the specific using experience or through observation inductively as those arguments based on law and other prominently acceptable ideologies are expressed by deduction. In a nutshell, researchers who use deduction work from top to bottom while those who use induction work from bottom up. Research uses quantitative and qualitative methods, which are deductive and inductive respectively (Onwuegbuzi & Leech, 2005, p.270). The two methods address the same problem but using different approaches, as they are not mutually exclusive.
The objective of science is to find real solutions through experimentation and testing. Hypotheses are used to make assumptions before theories are generated to corroborate the experiments. The reasoning for this procedure requires logical thinking. Both inductive and deductive thinking are interlinked because they form the basis for scientific research. Through induction, a conclusion is generalized from scenarios based on observation while through deduction; reasoning is used in the application of specific principles to reach certain conclusions based on assumptions. The two forms of research methodologies work the opposite way. Many scientists prefer to use the deduction method because through deduction, many theories are fronted as a beginning point unlike induction which is achieved through observation. Apart from these two forms, there is reduction which is a method of getting simple reasons from complex effects.
The relationship between induction and reduction
As has been introduced above, both deduction and induction are the basis for scientific research. Induction begins with observation, making many scientists rule out the its viability as a reliable model for research as insinuated by David Hume, the rationality of believing conclusions arrived at on the basis of conviction is the problem ( Hume, 2006, p.2). He further indicates that induction is a way of proving something without evidence. Observation does not guarantee that anything that happens is true, a part from the provisional belief that it could be true and there is no actual theory behind its supposition. The example given by Hume is the assumption that the sun rises. Through induction, there is no explanation that guarantees that the sun will rise. Another famous scientist Charles Darwin based his evolution theory on induction. He observed various aspects of nature and made a conclusion that there is a common origin for species. Many arguments opposing this theory argue that Darwin was vague in using observation to draw conclusions. Hume is concerned about the generality of the evidence provided by observation in influencing beliefs of other states of affairs.
Using the law of gravity the relationship between reduction and induction can be explained. Newton asserted that the environment influenced the motion of an object, expl...
Updated on
Get the Whole Paper!
Not exactly what you need?
Do you need a custom essay? Order right now:
Order

👀 Other Visitors are Viewing These MLA Essay Samples:

HIRE A WRITER FROM $11.95 / PAGE
ORDER WITH 15% DISCOUNT!
Order Now