Exercise 2.2: Academic Research on the Internet

In this exercise, I was instructed to follow 4 steps that would lead me to make a bibliography for my research paper and a few sources to start with.

1.) Keywords: Foster Care, Current Issues, Governmental problems, Aging out of the Program


2.) The next step to finding good academic sources in the internet was to use search engines that were listed in the book on page 83 (The Curious Researcher) and entering key words into the search engine in order to fins specific and general sources to help me with my research.  Here are the websites/sources that I came up with using Dogpile search engine after using the keywords "Issues in Foster Care:"
http://www.childrensrights.org/issues-resources/foster-care/facts-about-foster-care/ 
(Children's Rights)
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/siblingissues/index.cfm
(Child Welfare)


Here are the websites/sources that I came up with using "Current Problems in the Foster Care Program" as my keywords using the search.com web search.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/info/v1t00/foster-care-problems?Msid=|sgpYHhpXU_dc|&gclid=CNCtqfbKtr0CFafm7Aodu0UAwQ&xid=g_dlp-v1t00 (everyday health.com)
http://socialworktoday.com/archive/031912p12.shtml (Social Work Today)


3.) I added my findings to a citation bibliography in noodle tools where I was able to compile my sources and properly cite them.


4.) I then was instructed to print copies of other sources that I found interesting in order to do note taking. I was able to do this on other sources that I found through EBSCO Host and search engines that were on the LBC library website.


This exercise was intended to get me started on my citations and source accumulation.

Research Proposal...It all comes together

The following exercise focuses on my research proposal and what questions I will be answering in my research paper. I chose my topic after going through the steps of the last exercise that I posted to this blog and as I continue in the research process, I am aware that I am forming a thesis and a specific topic for my paper. The exercise that I am doing today will require 3 steps: An inquiry question, my primary purpose, and any prior beliefs or assumptions that I have about the topic.
Let's see where it takes me!


1.) Inquiry Question: What are the primary issues within the Foster Care Program today and how can we fix them?


2.) Primary Purposes: Explore: These are few more questions that I want to answer in my research because I find them important and relevant to my topic.  I realize that there are good things about it, but what can and maybe should be changed about how the system is run in order to boost the success rate of children ending up with "good" families rather than aging out of the program? How effective is it to tell a child they are too old for a family by setting n age limit and giving them $200 dollars to live off of? What are some ways that these problems can be solved within our society? What are people doing already to fix these issues?
Argue: What theory or hypothesis about my topic is being tested? What s my tentative main claim or thesis? The theory that the Foster Care System is not flawed and is placing a successful number of children into safe homes is the theory that is being tested. My tentative thesis or main claim is that there is a better way to run the Foster Care Program and in order to fix the problems within, we have to find the flaws and issues that surround it so that children have a better chance at life regardless of where they came from and who their biological parents are.


3.) What are my prior beliefs, assumptions, preoccupations, ideas or prejudices about this topic? What personal experiences of mine will shape my feelings on this subject? Did I have knowledge about this topic before choosing it? What are my thoughts on it now?


I must admit, I feel strongly about this topic because I am studying social work as my major here at LBC. Knowing that I may work in this environment someday prompted me to find out as much about it as I can. I also have personal experience with this topic because my 3 youngest siblings were adopted through foster care into our family. In that time, I thought there was nothing wrong with the Foster Care Program because we had a successful adoption and our case did not take as long as many others do. I certainly had knowledge about this topic upon choosing it because I as I said before, I am studying Social Work as my major and I personally have been through the process 3 times as my family was in the process of adopting my siblings. My feelings about Foster Care are conflicted because I know that if we did not have it, there would be so many lost children and people would get away with anything. I know that Foster Care is necessary and can do wonderful things. It is a good program that has saved many lives and rescued many broken children. However, I know that there are issues with it on the political spectrum and the laws that are surrounding it can be impossible at times for families who are looking to adopt children. I know there are ways of improving the system and I feel that this study will help me see what the issues are and how we can improve them for the greater good of the children, the adopting families and the birth parents that know their child deserves a better life than they can provide for them.

Choosing a Topic!

Building an Interest Inventory...

Exercise 1.1- Steps 1-3 Choosing a topic!

The following exercise is used you to help me brainstorm ideas and draw conclusions for my research paper writing process. Below, a list of general words are listed with ideas that came to my mind that relate to the general words. Bruce Ballenger (The Curious Researcher), states that this will help with generating information that will eventually encourage my choice of topic for my paper. Some of the ideas listed are ideas that only make sense to me, but they show relevance and thought that will work their way into my paper.


PLACES:                                  CONTROVERSIES:


Alaska                                         Gay marriage                                    
Maine                                          Abortion
Europe                                         Legalization of Marijuana
Russia                                         The President
Costa Rica                                   North Korea
Montana                                      Welfare
Colorado                                      Unemployment
Virginia                                        Religion/ Religious influence in government
Lake Placid                                   The Death Penalty
Cape May                                     The Middle East
 North Korea                                 Global Warming
                                                     Cuba
                                                     Monsanto
                                                     Obesity in America
                                                     Gender Roles
                                                     White eggs vs. Brown eggs
                                                     Substance abuse in national sports
                                                     War
                                                     Reasons for Poverty in the United States
                                                     Is poverty a choice?
                                                     Should the United States be the "World's Police man?"
                                                     Population growth
                                                     National Debt
                                                     Foster Care


HISTORY:                                 JOBS:                                                     HOBBIES:


The Holocaust                            Social Worker                                            Riding Bike
The Civil War                            Police Officers                                            Rock Climbing
The Revolutionary War             Retail Store Cashier                                    Jogging
Elizabethan Poor Laws              Realtors                                                       fishing
COS Movement                         Farmers                                                       Hiking
Settlement House Movement     Military                                                       Hinting
The Constitution                        Architects                                                   Camping
Civil Rights Movement             Accountants                                                Cooking
CCC Workers                            Garbage Man                                              Knitting
Kennedy Assassination              Teachers                                                     farming
911                                              Fire Men                                                    Sports
Desert Storm                               Pastors                                                        Singing
Cold War                                     Electrician                                                 Playing an instrument
Vietnam War                               Restaurant Waiter                                     Watching movies
Korean War                                 Baker                                                          Baking
WWII                                                                                                             Shopping
WWI
Roaring twenties
Pearl Harbor
Crusades
Protestant Reformation
The Inquisition
French and Indian War
Crusades
Trail of Tears
Industrial Revolution
The Great Depression
Battle of Bunker Hill
French Revolution
The Reign of Terror
Genocide

Step 2:What items on the above list are things that I might be able to write about or that would spark an idea for a topic for my paper?

There are multiple issues/topic above that I find interesting and could easily research and write a decent paper on. I could write about social work and the many aspects of it's history and current situation that are listed on the list (I am a social work major). I could also write about some of the places I have listed above because there is controversy in some of those locations and others hold memories of mine because I have visited them before. As far as the jobs that I listed go, I could write about how they are effected by our current economy or how they have progressed over time. (Police Officers, Social Workers, Pastors, Electricians, etc.) However, if I have to choose one item it would be Foster Care and the controversies that surround it in society today.

Step 3: Now generate a list of questions based off of the item from your list that you chose in order to explore the subject.

Foster Care: What generates the controversy?, How can this controversy be avoided? What are the good things about foster care? What are the bad aspects of foster care? How does it affect the lives of the children who are put through it? Is the ending result better than the process itself?, Is there a problem with the government agencies? Is there a problem with the private agencies? Which type of agency generates more success stories?, Is it okay for foster kids to be placed with gay parents if the couple qualifies as suitable care givers?, Should a child get a say in what type of family they get to live with?, Should the age of release form the Foster Care program be higher, lowered or left where it is at?, Is there a way to give a better chance at life to the kids who age out of the system then by giving them a meager $200 and sending them onto the street?, Who should control the foster care system? The state of the Federal government?

Wrap-up:

Wow! This exercise actually made my options very clear and obvious when it came to narrowing down a topic. In fact, I got a bit carried away with my lists because I kept on thinking of ideas or topics to add to them. I actually quite enjoyed this exercise because it gave me a chance to be free with my ideas and let my mind wander to wherever my thoughts took it. This was  refreshing approach to choosing a topic and I am happy with my choice. Foster care is something I am very passionate about because my family did it 3 times and I now have 3 adopted siblings (along with my 3 biological siblings). This issue is near and dear to me and I hope that by researching it, I will find myself able to have an intelligent conversation about it and be able to understand it better. I recommend this technique if you ever find yourself having to chose a topic to write about. It worker for me, so there is not saying that it won't work for you!

Getting Started: First Step in the 5 Week Plan to write a Research Paper

Rachel Weaver

3/18/2014

I am a student at Lancaster Bible College and am currently enrolled in Professor Byxbe’s English class. This blog is a resource that I will be using for a future research paper. On my blog, readers will find exercises taken from The Curious Researcher and other classroom activities that are intended to help me produce a well written research paper that is due in a few weeks. This process is part of a “5 week plan” that focuses on writing a structured and well researched paper. I hope this helps you as much as it is going to assist me. Happy Reading!

Exercise #1:

Step 1: “You’re writing mostly for the instructor.”

I find this statement to be true but I wish that it was false. In most classes, I find myself writing a paper for the sole purpose of trying to impress the professor and to meet their demands on the assignment sheet. It can be a very odd task at times because it requires me to know what exactly they expect and what kind of writing style they are looking for. This varies greatly from professor to professor. I have found that when I write it is rarely because I am interested or care about what I am writing about. It is solely because I have to turn in an assignment and the professor expects certain things to be included. So, this statement is true when it comes to writing papers for instructors, but as I said before, I wish it wasn't.

Step 2: “There’s a big difference between a fact in science and a fact in humanities.”

This statement rings very true for me because I am a Christian. The Fact that Jesus dies on the cross for my sins is indisputable in my mind but as many scientists argue, there is not concrete science to back up this fact. I find that humanities are more universal than facts because people can relate and experience things together in order to form fact and opinion. Humanities focus on society and truths that have become truths over time and with human influence. For example, a scientific fact looks like statistics and numbers. A humanities fact may be something more like “there are many people suffering from hunger around the world and we have the power to change that.” This is true because as Americans, we do have money and resources we just need to adjust our priorities and realize that a fact does not need to be science. It can be a global or societal truth.

This exercise was used to give me a chance to simply write what came to my mind on a provided topic. I set a timer for 3 minutes and wrote out my ideas based on the statement provided by the book. I was instructed to agree, disagree or see both sides on the statement. I allowed thoughts to come to my head and let my ideas guide my writing. This exercise gave me insight into how valuable it can be to write the thoughts that come to my mind in a way that does not require a format or layout when being instructed to respond to a topic. This exercise was just an attempt at getting ideas on paper and it proved to be effective because I found that my opinions and values were evident in my 3 minute writings. This exercise can be used to encourage my creativity in future writing and including personal value in my responses. I encourage others to do this because it is a great place to start when brainstorming ideas for a topic.