University of Georgia Research Log for Thesis Discussion

#1- One of the most important research strategies you can use as you collect information is keeping track of your searches. This will save you time, should you need to search again later, and will help determine which keywords and phrases returned the most promising results. In your research log, record the following information for each of your searches.

1. Resource that was searched
2. Search terms used (keywords, phrases, publication information)
3. Search strategies used (simple search, wildcard search, exact phrase search, Boolean search)
4. Date search was conducted
5. Number of results produced by the search
6. Relevance of the results
7. Notes about the search”

#2- Refine your thesis statement

In your research log, complete the following activity to refine your thesis statement.

1.I have chosen the following thesis statement:

2.I can refine my thesis statement and frame my readers’ understanding of the issue by adding the following relevant information:

-referring to the following shared assumptions:

-referring to the following common knowledge:

-referring to the following existing conditions: replacing the following vague words and phrases:

-using the following conditional words and phrases:

#3 Decide How to Appeal to Your Readers To develop an argumentative strategy, reflect on your purpose, your readers, and your main point. In your research log, record your responses to the following.

1. List each of your reasons.
2. Ask what sorts of appeals are best suited to each reason. Ask, for example, whether appeals to emotion, logic, or character are appropriate for a particular reason.
3. Sketch out promising appeals. Ask, for example, how you would appeal to authority, or how you would appeal to logic.
4. Ask how your readers are likely to respond to a given appeal.
5. Ask whether the kind of document you are writing lends itself to the use of particular appeals