ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Carl V. Patton and David S. Sawicki   Chapter 1. The Need for Simple Methods of Policy Analysis and Plannng. Our increasingly complex society confronts us with more and more difficult pol­icy problems that are not easily solved. Although these problems may be “at­tacked” or “addressed,” often they have no dearly correct answers. Some au­thors characterize the problems of modern society as “squishy,” “fuzzy,” and “wicked” and as often having the following attributes: 1. They are not well defined. 2. Their solutions cannot usually be proven to be correct before application. 3. No problem solution is ever guaranteed to achieve the intended result. 4. Problem solutions are seldom both best and cheapest. 5. The adequacy of the solution is often difficult to measure against notions of the public good. 6. The fairness of solutions is impossible to measure objectively. There are many examples of complex problems. What is the best location in a state for ...

Critical writing – from the Skills Team, University of Hull  Students are always being told that they need to read more critically, think more critically and write more critically? How do you demonstrate that you are reading and thinking critically in your writing? Critical reading (and also thinking) is about five main things:  1. Judging the appropriateness of your sources – some sources carry more academic weight than others. You should perhaps not view Joe’s blog as an authoritative academic voice whereas something in a peer-reviewed journal should be much more reliable. The appropriateness of some sources is less clear cut. Websites or YouTube videos, for example, can be official or reputable but can also be unofficial and disreputable. You will need to show that you have used the appropriate level of criticality when using them as academic sources. Equally a newspaper may be an excellent source for gauging public opinion about a topic but even reputable broadsh...

Critical writing  – from the Skills Team, University of  Hull   Structure  Understudies are continually being informed that they have to peruse all the more basic, think all the more fundamentally and compose  all the more basically? How would you show that you are perusing and supposing basically in your composition?  Basic perusing (and furthermore considering) is around five principle things:  1. Making a decision about the suitability of your sources – a few sources convey the progressively scholarly weight  than others. You ought to maybe not see Joe's blog as a definitive scholastic voice  though something in a companion surveyed diary ought to be considerably more dependable. The  suitability of a few sources is less obvious. Sites or YouTube recordings for instance  can be legitimate or trustworthy however can likewise be informal and notorious. You should  demonstrate that you...

administration to enable civil servants, activists, and others to examine and evaluate the available options to implement the goals of laws and elected officials.

The ability to develop a good research topic is an important skill. An instructor may assign you a specific topic, but most often instructors require you to select your own topic of interest. When deciding on a topic, there are a few things that you will need to do:

One of the most important aspects of college work is research. In any college course, you will need to gather information, assess it, and present it in your own work. For many students, research is an intimidating and overwhelming process. But another way to look at the prospect of conducting research is that it is  your turn  to delve into a new and interesting subject and present your own ideas about what it means. There is creativity in the research process, because you can often choose your own topic and sources, and use your ability to synthesize and analyze information to create something entirely new, whether it is a paper, lab report, or presentation. The advent of the Internet simplified research in many ways, making it more convenient and comprehensive, but the search for appropriate sources among the vast amount of information available means you need to refine your research skills. Choose a Topic A professor will often assign a topic, or provide yo...