Level 6

Purpose:

• To select a theory, then read and write about that theory in Tracking Sheet 5.
• To create a list of ten connections between the theory you choose and the subject (broader theme).

Tracking Sheet 5

Finding a theory source

• This source will NOT be about your subject.
• You and I will have a discussion to decide upon a theory.
• This source can be from any of the following:
  • An authored article on a website; fill out TS 5 as per directions on Level 3
  • A .gov or non-profit article; fill out TS 5 as per directions on Level 4
  • An EFSC database peer-reviewed article; fill out TS 5 as per directions on Level 5.

Choosing a theory: General Discussion of

• TL;DR: Non-science research papers, such as we are writing, are not about your subject (the broader theme), they are really about the theory.
• A research paper can be either applied or theoretical.
  • Applied research is lab work (think of hard-sciences) or polling/surveying people (such as Psychology and sociology). Applied research usually follows the same hypothesis, etc of a science fair project. Applied research seeks fact or truth. We are not doing applied research.
  • Theoretical research means attempting to understand some aspect of our world using a theoretical lens (a theory) to focus on a specific subject in a specific way to gain new insights and understandings.
• We did theoretical research in the mini-research papers at the start of the term: applying a theory to a subject to narrow down the subject and see the subject in a specific way.
• Theoretical papers help us gain meaning without judgement; if you want to judge something to gain meaning, write an essay.
• Said another way, Applied research turns information about the world into verified knowledge that we can trust as accurate. Theoretical research enlarges meaning of fact and truth.
• In theoretical research, the theory is the most important part, not the subject being studied.
• Your MLA paper is really about the theory you choose to use, not the subject/scope you examine; that's the aim, to convey the theory to others. How you will convey that theory to others is by explaining that theory in a theory paragraph of the MLA paper and then using multiple examples from your subject/scope to help your reader understand that theory better.
• If you keep in mind that the point of the MLA paper is to discuss the theory, you'll write a good research paper.
• If you think the point of the paper is to write about the subject, you'll have an 8th grade book report.
• If you want, you can read this article to learn more about "The Value of Theoretical Research and Applied Research"

What's the point?

• Without peer review in industry, science, and academia, everyone would have to test every piece of information every day.
• New headache medicine? better run the tests yourself because no one else would have.
• Air bags work? Better hit something and test them, because no one else did.
• Most of your day is surrounded by items, ideas, and objects that were tested by others to be efficacious or effective.

Why do I need to know this?

• Most of the research papers you write throughout college will have a rubric that says you must use x number of peer reviewed articles.
• If you have none in those papers, the paper will fail.
• In your BA years, you will be reading peer-reviewed articles weekly for classes, because the newest peer reviewed articles are the most up-to-date useful information in any field of study, months if not years before that information makes it into a new volume of a textbook