The Writing Center


Research can be a lot like friendships: many people could be your friend, but you often select only a few people to really know well. There are many books and articles you could be reading, but you want to isolate only those best sources for your valuable reading time. This exercise asks you to get to know those sources better by sitting with them and answering some questions. Pick your top source and answer these questions. Understanding your best source(s) will help you craft a wonderful paper; you'll be more connected with the materials.

  • Why is this your best source? Are you knowledgeable about the form and the context of this work?
  • Can you speculate about them? Do you know the author's background?
  • Can you speculate? What value does this source inspire in you or relate to within you?
  • I want you to be imaginative now: if this piece could say anything in particular just to you, what would it be?
  • With the information the text gives, can you make any decisions, particularly final decisions?

If you allowed yourself to zero in on one quote or one aspect of the text that is meaningful to you, which would it be? Stop there and reflect about that one spot. It's best if you write out the quote and let yourself make comments that apply this quote to something you see in your world.