A2 computer room lesson 16/11/15 intros and analysis

Investigatives,

read and make sure you understand the intro feedback below. If you have your data, you can start on your analysis, if you don't, you could make a good number of the changes to the intro now.

Intro feedback:

• Use past tense for all of the investigation (check for that after the first draft of everything is finished)
• Use footnotes like the exemplar intro did (you can use the latin term 'ibid' in the footnotes if the one you are writing is for the same source as the previous one)
• The text is formal, so avoid contractions unless you are writing enthusiastically about your engagement with the project and it suits the tone at that point
• Engage/hook the reader right at the start - this is where first impressions count so come up with an angle, a hook, a quote, some impressive theory, or something sparkly to start off with in the first sentence - check it with me to ensure it sets the right tone
• If your intro doesn't show off your skills, it isn't doing its job! Basic theory and boring explanations with no sizzle aren't going to cut the mustard!
• Your hypothesis should be according to theory so make sure it is clear which theory/theorist it relates to
• Remember you need to show 'evaluation' throughout so challenge theory and its relevance
• Re-read what you wrote, pretending you know nothing about you and your investigation. Is it clear what you are undertaking and why? 
• A working title is vital!

Analysis - starting to analyse

• Make sure you keep a clean copy of the data for your folder
• Quantification is the best place to start - what does your hypothesis say which you can test by counting/measuring something? That will then tell you which areas of the data are interesting to explore e.g. the most of something, anomalies, significant figures - we will look at an example of this in class tomorrow but see what you find
• Annotate all the techniques you can find that relate to your theory - are there any patterns there?
• Are there any techniques that are characteristic of your text producer/participants? Start to quantify or evaluate that in context
• Your conclusion will try to explore why your findings might be the case in context, but you need to do that at the very close 'details' level as you go along - which quotes would benefit from close PEE analysis?
• Evaluate what you can and can't tell as you go
• What sort of sub-headings might help you organise your notes? Your draft will need to be organised under key questions or frameworks or techniques or theory sub-headings
• Bear in mind you will find more than you can include in the final draft - you will want to select the areas that allow you to show off your skills and leave out the less effective passages - it is good to have work to select from