What is primary/field research? Primary research is any type of research that you go out and collect yourself.

—-USE LIBRARIANS—

What is primary/field research? Primary
research is any type of research that you go out and collect yourself.

Why use primary/field research? Students
should learn about primary research strategies because they will use these
strategies frequently in their courses and careers. Furthermore, because this type of research
involves a more active relationship with the actual data, students are forced
to reach their own conclusions rather than parrot someone else’s findings.

You
should conduct an interview with an expert in your field/discipline. There
will be some flexibility about the nature of the selected interviewee; however,
make sure that the person is an authority rather than a client/participant
affected by the field/discipline.

Your investigation should be written up as an
expository report, with a bibliography (or Works Cited, if it is in MLA) that
lists your single source (the interviewee) at the end, using your field’s
format. Implement successful writing
elements: the rhetorical triangle, the rhetorical appeals, creative word
choice, thorough editing, a catchy title, etc.
Evaluation
Criteria
1.
Evidence of interviewing (written or spoken) an expert in your discipline.
2.
Direct reference to interviewee with accurate and appropriate use of direct
quotation,
summary,
and paraphrase
3.
An objective tone and consistent third person
4.
An easily grasped development for a non-expert audience
5.
Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other
mechanics.
Length: one and a half to two
pages. You will lose one letter grade
for each missing page, in addition to losing points for failing to adhere to
the stipulations of the assignment (i.e. you are lacking in
context/quotes/description, etc.). One
page will result in a five-point deduction.

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