In-Class Discussion/Lecture
Tuesday: At the beginning of class we did Daily Grade #14 in our journals, with the prompt asking us 
what we would ask Bryan Stevenson if he were to come on campus—whether it be about Just Mercy, or some other topic. Afterwards, we discussed the library visit that would happen on Thursday, where we would go over our research proposals, and learn proper research methods and different types of sources. Dr. Crowther recommended that we make sure to find our own sources outside of the information in Just Mercy, and maybe even collect some primary sources. We were also reminded that our research proposal, plus a planned timeline for our research, were due on Friday by 8 pm. For the rest of the class, we each brainstormed some topic ideas, or, if we already had come up with one, worked on a research plan.
Later, we discussed the research process and worked on an example topic (Research Process-253fxun) , “Recidivism”. Dr. Crowther also gave some tips as to how to start our research; for example, to come up with a research question, and then come up with your own ideas to answer that question, which you would then try to support with your research. She also gave us some tips on how to best search through search engines and databases, using keywords and filters. At the end of class, we were reminded that our rough outline is due next Tuesday (10/31).
Thursday: On Thursday, the class met in the library, room CL 2220, where we learned more about the different types of research sources, and how to best find them. First, we did a short activity where the 
librarian had us sort different sources of information from least to greatest based on different criteria (amount of editing, research, effort/ease of creation, time, or length put into each source). She then showed us the library search engine to find various databases, based on name and/or topic. We discussed exactly what a database is (a collection of different resources), and the reasons for using one rather than a normal search engine (they are often more specific and give more scholarly, reliable, results). Then we were given a short tutorial o
n how to filter and find certain results, and got some recommendations of specific databases to use when searching for certain types of sources. Thursday was also the due date for the completion of the LearningCurve activities.
Readings
The assigned reading for this week were from both our Changing Writing (CW) and Successful College Composition (SCC) textbooks. In Changing Writing, we had to read Chapter 7: “Getting Information and Writing from Research” (pgs. 155-180) and Chapter 6: “Managing Writing Projects” (pgs. 140-152). Chapters 6 and 7 collectively give tips on how to properly conduct and use research, the different types of primary and secondary sources, taking notes from and recording said sources, and suggested methods of planning out and managing your research process.
In Successful College Composition, we were assigned to read Chapter 4: “Writing a Research Paper”, sections 4.1 through 4.5, which goes through the purpose of doing research writings and the early stages of the research process. As this chapter puts it, we conduct research to learn in depth, and more deeply understand a topic using “facts, interpretations and opinions you encounter in your research to create a narrative and support an argument” (Crowther et al. 134). It then goes on to detail the research process: first, choose your topic through brainstorming, then plan and schedule your research; afterward, conduct your research, organize your sources, draft your paper, and then revise and edit. The rest of the chapter gives tips on how to choose the best topic—one that fits the assignment criteria and holds a personal interest, but is not too widespread or too narrow—and how to find and identify reliable sources, as well as how to properly use citations and quotations in your paper.