theguide11e

Analyzing Your Rhetorical Situation and Setting a Schedule

Making your research project manageable begins with defining the scope and goals of your research project. Begin by analyzing your rhetorical situation:

What is your purpose? Is it to explain a concept, report on or argue for a position, or analyze the causes of an event or a behavior?

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To learn more about primary and secondary research, see Chapter 21.
Who is your audience and what will your readers’ interests, attitudes, and expectations for the project be? How many and what kinds of resources does your audience expect you to consult? (For college research projects, your audience will likely be your instructor.)
What genre (or type) is the research project, and how will that affect the kinds of sources you use? An observational report in the social sciences may demand mainly primary research, whereas an argument essay for a history course may require a variety of secondary and primary sources.
What medium will you use to present your research project? A research project presented in print will allow you to incorporate visuals and use parenthetical citations and a works cited or references list to acknowledge your sources; a project presented using PowerPoint or Prezi slides may allow you to incorporate video and sound but require you to name your sources during the presentation.

Also be sure you consider the following practical issues before you begin your research project:

How long should the research project be?
When is it due?
Are any interim assignments required (such as an outline or an annotated bibliography)?

If you’re not sure of the answers to these questions, ask your instructor to clarify the assignment or define any confusing terms so that you can work most efficiently.

Finally, set a schedule. Be sure to take into consideration the projects you have due for other classes as well as other responsibilities (to work or family, for example) or activities. A sample schedule is shown in Figure 20.2.

FIGURE 20.2 Sample Schedule for a 3- to 5-Page Research Project

Some library Web sites may offer an online scheduler to help you with this process. Look for a link on your library’s Web site, or try out an assignment calculator, such as one of those listed on the Guides page of the Web site for the University of Missouri Libraries: library.missouri.edu/guides/assigncalc/.