Effective Writing in the Public Sector by John W. Swain & Kathleen Dolan Swain

Author:John W. Swain & Kathleen Dolan Swain [Swain, John W. & Swain, Kathleen Dolan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Public Affairs & Administration, Political Science, Communication Studies, Language Arts & Disciplines, General
ISBN: 9781317472278
Google: nnBsBgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 24827580
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-07-08T00:00:00+00:00

Conducting Research

Now that you have created your topic sentence, you need to conduct more in-depth research to find out what concerns are most relevant to your defined topic. In other words, you need to narrow your focus a second time. This time, take your defined topic, research the main elements that pertain to this topic, and then choose up to three of those elements to discuss in your report.

For example, in the scenario provided above, when you research economic indicators related to recent trends in the city’s housing market, you might look at the following three indicators: the number of construction permits, the number of residential sales, and the number of foreclosures. (Again, note that you could have discussed other indicators; perhaps the three given here were the most politically relevant at the time of your report.) You also begin to develop notes on the relationship of these indicators of trends in the housing market to trends in other sectors of the real estate market.

You can research issues related to your topic by looking at both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are original records created during the time being studied. For example, primary sources for the scenario described here might include local records of construction permits issued, residential real estate transfers, and court records on foreclosures of residential properties. Secondary sources are records created by people who are once-removed from the event(s) being studied. For example, in our scenario, secondary sources might include books and journal articles written by experts who have conducted research on recent regional trends in the housing market and the relationship of those trends to other economic trends.

Note: As you conduct your research and start developing the content for your report, be especially careful to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism can be defined as presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. To avoid plagiarizing, be aware of the following: (1) when you use another person’s exact word or words, you need to place the word or words in quotation marks and cite the source (for more information on how to create citations, see the next section); and (2) when you paraphrase another person’s idea or ideas (for example, a specific point, a method, or a conclusion) not considered part of common knowledge, you need to cite the source. (“Common knowledge” can be defined as factual knowledge known either broadly or within your particular discipline. For example, you do not need to document the statement that Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. If you stated, however, that Ronald Reagan helped end the Cold War, you would need to cite the source or sources from which you derived this conclusion.) The best advice: When in doubt, cite the source.

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