Chapter 12 Entry

Chapter 12 is about developing your argument. You first want to understand your position and start to develop reasons for your argument. Once you have confidently chose reasons, you want to support those reasons with evidence. You can find and use evidence from sources and other gathered research. Evidence will act as concrete detail and allow your opinionated reasons to sound fact and logical. It is important to have a strong reason with evidence to support your reasoning. You also want to make sure your thesis, reasoning, and evidence is appealing to the reader and will draw in other readers. You do not want to sound opinionated, so it is important to acknowledge the opposition. The reader will enjoy reading a paper that has concrete facts to PROVE why you believe what you believe. Don't just say your position; prove your position. It is also key to stay logical so your readers can follow along.
It is also important to use reliable sources to make sure your assignment has "integrity" according to the Bedford Researcher. The book mentions "fallacies" which you need to check for, look for, search for, and locate. You need to make sure your paper is intelligent and organized with logical evidence and key supported detail.

Working Bib

"25 Trends That Changed America" USA TODAY. Gannett Co. Inc., 2011. Web. Apr. 2013.

"Defining American Culture." Democratic Underground. Democratic Undergound LLC, 2001-2011. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Arbesman, Samuel. "The Invisible Borders That Define American Culture." The Wilson Quarterly. N.p., Dec. 2009. Web. Apr. 2013.Warf, Barney, and Mort Winsberg.

"The Geography Of Religious Diversity In The United States." Professional Geographer 60.3 (2008): 413-424. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Rutherford, Jane, and Brett G. Scharffs. "One Nation Under God? Unity, Diversity, And Neutrality Under The Religion Clauses." Brigham Young University Law Review 2004.3 (2004): 983-993. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Monsma, Stephen V. "Honoring Religion As A Source Of Diversity And Unity." Journal Of Education 186.2 (2005): 41-50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Merino, Stephen M. "Religious Diversity In A “Christian Nation”: The Effects Of Theological Exclusivity And Interreligious Contact On The Acceptance Of Religious Diversity." Journal For The Scientific Study Of Religion 49.2 (2010): 231-246. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Dodds, Graham G. "Crusade Or Charade? The Religious Right And The Culture Wars." Canadian Review Of American Studies 42.3 (2012): 274-300. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

"Culture Counts: A "New Math" For The Future Of Innovative Cities." Vital Speeches Of The Day 78.12 (2012): 420-425. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Dilworth-Anderson, Peggye, Geraldine Pierre, and Tandrea S. Hilliard. "Social Justice, Health Disparities, And Culture In The Care Of The Elderly." Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics 40.1 (2012): 26-32. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Ryan P. Jacobson, et al. "The Relation Between Ethnic Group Attachment And Prosocial Tendencies: The Mediating Role Of Cultural Values." European Journal Of Social Psychology 41.1 (2011): 107-115. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Stanley, Tim. "The Changing Face Of The American Family." History Today 62.11 (2012): 10-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Brooks, Roy L. "Cultural Diversity: It's All About The Mainstream." Monist 95.1 (2012): 17-32. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Kesebir, Pelin, and Selin Kesebir. "The Cultural Salience Of Moral Character And Virtue Declined In Twentieth Century America." Journal Of Positive Psychology 7.6 (2012): 471-480. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Chandratilake, Madawa, Sean McAleer, and John Gibson. "Cultural Similarities And Differences In Medical Professionalism: A Multi-Region Study." Medical Education 46.3 (2012): 257-266. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Jaussen, Paul. "Charles Olson Keeps House: Rewriting John Smith For Contemporary America." Journal Of Modern Literature (2010): 107-124. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

McCann, Robert M., and Shaughan A. Keaton. "A Cross Cultural Investigation Of Age Stereotypes And Communication Perceptions Of Older And Younger Workers In The USA And Thailand." Educational Gerontology 39.5 (2013): 326-341. Academic Search Premier. Web.  Apr. 2013.

Andrew Murphy, et al. "“If You've Seen One, You've Seen Them All!” Are Young Millennials The Same Worldwide?." Journal Of International Consumer Marketing 25.1 (2013): 3-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Crothers, Lane. "The Cultural Roots Of Isolationism And Internationalism In American Foreign Policy." Journal Of Transatlantic Studies (Routledge) 9.1 (2011): 21-34. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Keenan, James F. "Living The Truth: Fundamental Theological Ethics." Theological Studies 73.1 (2012): 151-168. Academic Search Premier. Web. Apr. 2013.

Chapter 11 Entry

Chapter 11 is about developing your theses statement. The thesis is the basis of your paper and will ultimately decide what and how your paper will be drawn out. In order to create a meaningful and balanced thesis, you first want to understand and review your topic. Think about your position and ask yourself if you really believe what you are writing about. You want the paper to be attainable to you so that you won't bore your intended readers.
Evaluating your notes will help you reflect on your subject a little more. The book mentions to ask yourself if your notes are valuable and how well it "conveys" your position. You also want to create logical and creative reasons that you could potentially write about in your body paragraphs.
The book also talks about drafting your thesis. You can do this by understanding what type of paper you want to write about and thinking about possible alternate positions. You want your thesis statement to be narrow and focused. It is important that it is not too broad of a concept so that you can have definite points and can focus directly on your specific subject.

Chapter 10 Entry

Chapter 10 is all about understanding different types of research methods. Also, knowing when and how to use these different methods. The chapter mentions to start using other research methods when you can no longer find information on your specific topic.
The method the chapter mentions is to use interviews to collect information. It is important to find a good source, and ask detailed questions. Interviews can be performed in many different ways. For example, the chapter notes that you can do face-to-face, over the phone, or written interviews. All ways will ultimately allow you to gather more information on your topic and give you a little more insight.
The next method talked about in this chapter is using observations. It's pretty much like the interview. You need to plan it out, decide what you are going to observe, and how you are going to observe them. You want to identify key elements and features that you think will help you understand your issue. You can also use surveys to analyze peoples beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors towards certain subjects or matters. Again, you want to plan out and carefully decide how and who you want to ask.
The last ways of collecting information can be done through correspondence and public events. Basically, you want to start a discussion with a large gathering of people through social networking or public meetings. By doing this, you can address your argument and understand what  and how people feel about your belief.
All of these helpful methods will ultimately help you understand your topic a little further into detail. By using different types of methods you are allowing yourself to see better and different results from a wide range of sources.

Chapter 7 Entry

Chapter seven is all about being original. It is important to always use your own words and cite sources when you are using somebody else's work. It is cheating yourself if you use somebody else's work as your own. This chapter also mentions that it could completely be unintentional plagiarism. To avoid any sort of plagiarism, the chapter suggests that you do not slack off when it comes to taking notes and citing sources. Also, when paraphrasing, do not just change one word or use synonyms; completely rewrite the section in your own words to avoid any and all sorts of plagiarism. The chapter also notes how serious every case of plagiarism is and how much it can affect a writers essay.
There is a difference between plagiarism and facts. Or otherwise called, "common knowledge". Although there is a fine line, it is still important to know the difference between the two. A fact can not be plagiarised, because it is indeed, a fact. And everyone knows it. For example, the book uses the fact that the Declaration was signed in 1776. If you were to use that as evidence in your essay, it would not be considered plagiarism because it's not like anybody made it up or did a study, or has an opinion on when it was signed.
The section also mentions to create a source called a "Knowledge Inventory". Here you can understand a fact more clearly and in your own way. It is sort of like a drawing board for all of your ideas and comments about a source, quote, or anything else you use as evidence.

Bibliography and Photos

Dodds, Graham G. "Crusade Or Charade? The Religious Right And The Culture Wars." Canadian Review Of American Studies 42.3 (2012): 274-300. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Merino, Stephen M. "Religious Diversity In A “Christian Nation”: The Effects Of Theological Exclusivity And Interreligious Contact On The Acceptance Of Religious Diversity." Journal For The Scientific Study Of Religion 49.2 (2010): 231-246. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Monsma, Stephen V. "Honoring Religion As A Source Of Diversity And Unity." Journal Of Education 186.2 (2005): 41-50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Rutherford, Jane, and Brett G. Scharffs. "One Nation Under God? Unity, Diversity, And Neutrality Under The Religion Clauses." Brigham Young University Law Review 2004.3 (2004): 983-993. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Warf, Barney, and Mort Winsberg. "The Geography Of Religious Diversity In The United States." Professional Geographer 60.3 (2008): 413-424. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.

Maynard, W. Barksdale. "Thoreau's House at Walden." Art Bulletin 81.2 (1999): 303. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 19 Nov. 2002.

“U.S. Religious Retention Rates” Chart. 2008. Google Maps.  16 Apr. 2013

“Religious Adherents as a Percentage of all Residents” 2000. Google Maps.  16 Apr. 2013

“Prevalence of Christian Faiths in the U.S. and Hispanic Nations” Graph. 2011. Google Maps. 16 Apr. 2013

“American Subculture” Chart. 2012 Wikipedea . 16 Apr. 2013

Five Potential Sources

• http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2012/04/invisible-borders-define-american-culture/1839//
  
  1. Business
  2. Invisible Borders
  3. Samuel Arbesman, Atlantic Monthly Group
  4. 2012
  5. Relevant
  6. "About Us" link
•  http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1595075
  
  1. Business
  2. Defining American Culture
  3. Democratic Underground
  4. 2004
  5. Relevant
  6. "About Us" link
• http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/top25-trends.htm
  1. Business
  2. Trends That Changed America
  3. Haya El Nasser,USA Today
  4. 2007
  5. Relevant
  6. Links to Contact
• https://www.woodberry.org/ftpimages/51/misc/misc_69784.pdf
  1. Organization
  2. Culture and Values
  3. Woodberry Forrest Shool
  4. No date
  5. Relevant
  6. Document
•  http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/article.cfm?aid=1338
  1. Business
  2. Culture
  3. Aviya Kushner, Published by Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  4. Winter 2009
  5. Relevant
  6. Links to contact

Chapter Six Entry

Chapter six opens up multiple possibilities for saving research. After a long hard day of research, you want to be sure that your work is in a safe, organized place. These such places can range from a well-organized binder, to a phone! It really doesn't matter how or where your research is stores, as long as it is safe, organized, and, most importantly, easily attainable.
Labeling these files and folders the right way will be a big help in the long run. Take the two extra seconds to write in, or type in a couple key words that you can easily come back to. Some elements might include names of people, the date, and anything else that closely relates to the document. Doing this will help prevent scrambling through countless documents when you need to find them quickly!
The next key step the chapter mentions is to stick with the method. Do not change from one to the other because that can lead to potential loss of important information. Stay on top of it and do it the right way. A way to stay on top of gathering all and as much information is to take notes. Note taking is a part of active reading that will help you understand information of the source in a deeper concept. 
Taking notes can be a bit overwhelming when there is a lot to read, or a lot to listen too. How do you know what is most important to write down? The chapter explains a couple of note-taking techniques that will help prevent an excessive amount of non-relevant information. After you choose a method, you want to quote exactly as seen or heard. You don't have to quote EVERYTHING, but record only what is relevant and specific to your proposed topic. You can use ellipsis', brackets, and "sic" (which means you will later explain in the comments section of your paper.) to modify certain quotes. Make sure to jot down the author, title, or page where it can be found. Use quotation marks and do not misrepresent information!
You can also paraphrase and summarize information to avoid plagiarism. If you paraphrase, make sure to include the producer/author when you reword the sentence and also parenthesize the page number the information can be found on.
Lastly, create and annotated and working bibliography. A working bib are sites you have researched and an annotated bib should be the ones you actually used and should note why the sources were helpful in a short couple of sentences.

Chapter Three Entry

Chapter three highlights the importance of understanding your topic, and more importantly, how informed are you of your topic. In order to develop a strong research question, it is critical to attain as much information as possible. You can do this by asking yourself a series of questions about general information, history, assumptions, goals, procedures, and outcomes. You want to make sure that your research question is not too broad and yet, at the same time, not too narrow.

Once the question is decided upon, it is time to filter it. The chapter points out key concepts to use in your research question that will help it sound more electric and interesting. You do not want readers to find out the answer to a boring and dull question; you want readers to become instantly curious as they read your first introductory paragraph.

The question will ultimately be the basis of the paper. It will instantly help readers determine whether the paper is worth their time or not. Gathering as much information on your topic will really help you create an extravagant question. It is almost as if you are doing research BEFORE the actual research that will make up your paper. 

Chapter Five Entry

Chapter five showed me how to evaluate. The word "evaluate" was a key expression throughout this particular unit. Not necessarily what to evaluate, but HOW to evaluate in a way that will help me find concrete sources. It is important to use logical information and evidence. In order to find these sorts of details, a writer must first find reliable sources. Then, a writer is able to create a paper that has strong evidence that is believable. A writer never wants to use a source that gives out false information.

In order to compile reasonable sources and evidence, a writer must first make sure the information is relevant. Then, if the source is using evidence appropriately, you must learn about the author. It is key to make sure that the author of a source is not just some couch potato! Again, it is important to have RELIABLE information. A way to make sure that the author is knowledgeable is to check who the publisher is. This will help you understand how bias the opinion is. Another thing to be sure of is the suitability and relevance of the source. The last thing to consider is the type of source. Keep in mind that anyone is able to put up false information. Credible information will build up your paper. Once you  have carefully evaluated a source, you will be confident in using the information and gain pristine knowledge of your topic.

Chapter Four Entry

After the writer has analyzed possible sources, it is even more critical to read the sources in the right way. The text says it is important to be an "active reader", which means to be involved in the readings. A reader can do this by highlighting and taking simple notes. Being an active reader will make it easier in the long run. All of these sources are going to help the writer answer the research question and build up the paper in its entirety. Once the reader has skimmed and taken quick notes, it will be easier to rule out some sources that are not as crucial as others. All of this research seems a bit overwhelming but I think if i am able to follow the guidelines provided in the text I will be able to easily organize and navigate through all of my sources.

Chapter Two Entry

Chapter two was about coming to an understanding of a research topic. The chapter mentions how important it is for a writer to get a general idea of the desired topic. It is crucial for a writer to put themselves in every possible point of view to gain a greater understanding of what they want to write about; and more importantly why. This chapter is about gaining reason through people, cites, books, databases, and any credible sources. As learned in chapter one, it is substantial for a writer to keep all of their work organized and easily attainable. After analyzing different views of the topic, the writer must narrow it down to different issues that arise from the topic; "The Bedford Reader," wants writers to "frame" their "argument" in a way that is satisfying to both their self and the readers.

Chapter One Entry

The first chapter is sort of a basis for what is to be learned and an overview of what a writer should know. Basically, "The Bedford Researcher," wants writers to take pride in their work while consistently managing and keeping up with current research. An important tip I picked up in this section was the research log. I think I will definitely be using that. Another key factor mentioned for the process of writing a research paper is to stay organized. It is important to take it step by step to ensure the final draft is able to engage readers, while pursuing the writer's opinion of the subject to be chosen. The chapter acted as a broad outline of how to write a research paper even if one is unsure of what to write about. This chapter really helped me understand how the puzzle pieces are going to fit together.