Original Inquiry is a guide to research tailored to the needs of first- and second-year college students, regardless of major. Its aim is to familiarize early undergraduates with inquiry-driven original research by guiding them through the process of designing their own research questions and carrying out their own research projects. Throughout, the book stresses the importance of discovery, knowledge creation, and information literacy, and helps students connect their own interests to current areas of research and debate within their chosen fields of study.
Rather than focusing solely on the research paper, Original Inquiry engages students fully in the research process, making the text applicable to various research assignments and enabling students to develop the broad skills and flexibility needed to tackle all manner of research challenges and opportunities.
Three sample source texts are included—a tertiary, a substantive, and a scholarly source—each closely annotated for student reference. As well, three sample student projects are included: a research essay, a presentation, and a research poster.
A number of key concepts and skills receive close attention:
• gaining familiarity with a full variety of source types: primary, secondary, and tertiary; and popular, substantive, and scholarly;
• formulating and adjusting research questions;
• evaluating source quality and the types of evidence they provide;
• devising a system for effective reading and annotating of sources;
• building a robust research archive;
• responding to evidence;
• synthesizing research findings;
• and highlighting significance in conclusions.
Introduction How to Use this Guide
PART ONE: INTRODUCING ARGUMENTS
- Chapter 1: Original Research and Inquiry
- Chapter 2: Developing a Research Interest
- Chapter 3: The World of Sources
- Chapter 4: Reading for Original Research
- Chapter 5: Formulating Research Questions
- Chapter 6: Research Databases and Keyword Searches
- Chapter 7: Annotation: Gathering and Responding to Evidence
- Chapter 8: Research Beyond the Keyword Search
- Chapter 9 Adjusting Your Inquiry and Filling Gaps in Your Research Along the Way
- Chapter 10: Organizing and Synthesizing Your Research Findings
- Chapter 11: Emphasizing Originality When Presenting Your Research Findings
Appendix A: Examples of Texts and Annotations
- A.1 Annotated Tertiary Text: “The Benefits of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity”
- A.2 Annotated Substantive Text: “Twilight of the Books: What Will Life Be Like If People Stop Reading?”
- A.3 Annotated Scholarly Text: “‘I Felt Like Such a Freshman’: First-Year Students Crossing the Library Threshold”
Appendix B: Sample Research Products by Undergraduate Students
- B.1 Essay: “The Inconvenient Truth of Vinyl’s Comeback in the United States”
- B.2 Presentation: “Transit in Richmond: Considerations for the Local Government”
- B.3 Research Poster: “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Influence on Drug Behavior Among a Cohort of Incarcerated Individuals”
Matthew James Vechinski is an associate professor in the Department of Focused Inquiry, Coordinator of Academic Programming in the College of Humanities and Sciences, and Associate Faculty Director of the Real-world Applications in Multidisciplinary and Project-based Studies program at Virginia Commonwealth University.
