Summer Homework 2022

Writing, and, in turn, revising a problem statement will serve as the foundation for our capital "R" Research question.

However, before you begin , read this brief introduction to "Research" by the College Board:

“Research” versus “research”:

You must be careful when crafting your research question (a question that will govern your academic paper and presentation). Your research question must be aligned with the purpose of Capital “R” Research or your work will not demonstrate achievement within the AP Research course.

To clarify:

Little “r” research is basically just searching for literature to develop an argument or stance around an issue or to report on what is known about a problem or question.

• • Questions that look more like debates about controversial issues are little “r” research questions and must be avoided.

  • Questions that can be answered by looking up scholarly works that have already been published are little “r” research questions and must be avoided.

Capital “R” Research is where a student has a well-articulated research method to generate evidence to support a new understanding or new piece of knowledge, which, if someone else “repeated” it, that person could come up with the same understanding and validate the new piece of knowledge.

• Questions that are narrow, focused, and unanswerable by the literature in the field are Capital “R” Research questions and are required for this course.

When crafting your own problem statement:

• 1. 1. • Be sure to have open Lesson 3 in the PREP Reflection Log Activities and Prompts document, as well as the AP Research Student Handbook.

        • You can view this slideshow about writing and revising research questions. I especially recommend Slides 15-21, which will give you examples of questions that undergo revision, and thus, become narrowed in scope. Use slide 16 specifically will help you to write your initial problem statement, and then we can revise from there.

        • Additionally, this slideshow (not mine) breaks it down for you. I found slides 27-30 useful in helping to move a real-life student example from a 'general' to 'specific' problem statement/inquiry question.

        • Use slide 16 specifically will help you to write your initial problem statement, and then we can revise from there.

        • You can also view these Sample Research questions in the Jamboard 'carousels' below and peer feedback each received. (each individual's question/problem statement at the top of each slide). Keep in mind that we, teachers, drafted these statements/questions ourselves, and gave each other feedback phrased as questions in order to help each other narrow the scope (exactly what I am asking you to do!):

          • Research Question Carousel #1

          • Research Question Carousel #2

          • Research Question Carousel #3

Your problem statement must meet the following criteria in order to satisfy the CollegeBoard requirements:

• 1. 1. • • Focused: A clear element of the problem or topic of inquiry (cyberbullying, male body image, recurring themes of flowers)

          • Context: population, place, time, genre (middle school males, Emily Dickinson poetry from 1850-1865)

          • Variables/components: components of focused topic to be identified, counted, measured, etc. (punitive measures taken, text used to describe women as flowers, time spent playing video games)

          • Purpose: to explore, explain, or create.

  2. Once you have drafted your problem statement (initial research question), respond to these questions in your PREP Reflection Log:

     1. Looking back at the research question you developed for homework, would you revise it? If so, how?

     2. What purpose (if any) does a problem statement serve in the AP Research course?