Academic Literacy: Reading Scholarly Materials

We are using this article on the role of big data in understanding global climate change:

A Big Data Guide to Understanding Climate Change: The Case for Theory-Guided Data Science (reference below)

Let’s explore how it stands up to the CRAAP Test….

Go into your breakout rooms and evaluate the article using test.

1. Use the information on this image to help you think about the Big data article
   

   Image Source: https://medium.com/@RefME/the-craap-test-an-easy-fun-way-to-evaluate-research-sources-a2755126b6b2

2. Then reply to this post (as a group) below with your evaluation by Clicking on the word “Comment” below – Do you give the article a thumbs up, down, or sideways based on the criteria and why? Give concrete examples.
3. Be ready to share to the whole group your thoughts.

Our overall goal is to decide whether this article is worth our time!

Now move onto the next segment of the lesson – Click on this link- Using Macro structures in text to help with comprehension

References:

James H. Faghmous and Vipin Kumar.Big Data.Sep 2014.155-163.http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

CRAAP Test image: https://medium.com/@RefME/the-craap-test-an-easy-fun-way-to-evaluate-research-sources-a2755126b6b2

So here is the abstract in toto, first…

Abstract from http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

What can we do with the Abstract to develop a better overall understanding  of the research before we start to read? Academic writing is dense and includes many ideas in a very concise arrangement. Our job is to mine as much information from the abstract as we can before we start to read.

Strategies

1. Break it down (1 sentence or thought group at a time) – re-state in your own words and
2. Substitute simpler verbiage. Let’s do one section together as an example, before you do the activity:
   Global climate change and its impact on human life has become one of our era’s greatest challenges.   RESTATED:  The effects of climate change affect everyone around the world and it is a very important problem to solve.

Now we’ll go into breakout rooms to work on the rest… 

In your groups:

1. Go to the shared Google slides doc to complete your work – Choose the slide that corresponds to your Breakout Room #.
2. Divide up the sentences among yourselves in your group
3. Restate each sentence in your own words – use simpler word substitutions where needed.
4. Be ready to share your work with the whole group
5. Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1g5xLbaEqqbkaotRe-w0I7LHi6Rb79gS60OM9QqjZYlo/edit#slide=id.gd295357407_0_6

I will visit the breakout rooms and discuss your answers.

Now read your restatements/simplifications – can you write a summary statement about the key points?

Which words did you find useful to substitute with simpler language?

Now go onto Practice #3 to continue with Macro structures.

Reference for article:

James H. Faghmous and Vipin Kumar.Big Data.Sep 2014.155-163.http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

PART A: HEADINGS & SUB-HEADINGS

They do a few important things – they give us:

• exactly how the authors organized their ideas (arguments)
• a framework for notetaking while reading

Here is an example:
Notice a few things:

• Spacing to fill in details when reading
• Get an overall “feel” for where the authors are going – I could see more clearly how they set up the paper – problem statements and solutions (click on the image for a larger version – see the green ink)

The more complex the reading, the more useful this step will be. How MUCH you then fill in depends on your purpose for reading – are you just skimming for general knowledge, or do you need to USE the information in some way? The more you need to do, the more details you’ll want to have.

The practice would be in this case, creating your own framework from the article which you would use later to add details while reading. For now, look at the image above and compare to the text of the article. 

PART B: USING GRAPHICS (reference for graphics below)

Before reading, skim the article to look for details in any images or graphics (data tables, etc.) that can give you a heads-up about what’s important in the article or the findings. Understanding this before reading helps a lot, especially as the research gets more complex. Here are 2 good examples from the text:

Example 1:

• • • Why do you think the author included this in the paper? What 3-4 points is the author trying to make?
    • Any words you want to simplify here?

Example 2:

• •  Can you summarize the important ideas from this table?
  • Any words to simplify/replace?

How have these images/graphics helped us to better understand the PROBLEMS or SOLUTIONS proposed by the authors?

PART C: THE CONCLUSION

The last step in this Macro investigation could be to read the Conclusion to see if there are any additional clues before you start reading for detail.

Now let’s move onto the Micro structures section…It’s time to read!

REFERENCE

James H. Faghmous and Vipin Kumar.Big Data.Sep 2014.155-163.http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

Let’s take a look at the abstract again… Make a list of the technical vs. functional vocabulary in this article. Ask yourself, “Which words could I look up in the dictionary (functional) and which do I need to look to the article to better explain to me (technical)?

The point is to know where to go to crack open these words /phrases to build understanding.

Abstract from http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

Now go back to the Micro Section to continue the next section – Intellectual Moves…

Reference for article:

James H. Faghmous and Vipin Kumar.Big Data.Sep 2014.155-163.http://doi.org/10.1089/big.2014.0026

You are going to read the introduction and try to identify the intellectual moves the author is making. Go to this Google slide to your breakout room # to complete the activity

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15sd9_vcqQe-U3HklrR2KZ5tTPc7_n9KNJKJSTd0Yico/edit?usp=sharing

This information would normally be copied into your outline from Headings/Sub-headings step.

Now return to the Micro section for the last piece to consider – Language as signpost

I took these phrases from the discussion section of the article (pg. 160), “Theory-Guided Data-Driven Applications in Climate Science”. Let’s do a matching together to see if you can match the phrase with the intellectual move the authors are making.

The “Moves”

• Summary statements
• Confirming/Refuting prior research
• Adding new information/findings
• Building on the arguments of others
• Open questions for future research
• Caveats/hesitations about their own research
• Importance of the study

The Phrases

• What we have learned since the Wired article…
• Unfortunately, Google Flu trends did not withstand the test of time…
• As a result, the data that were collected…
• There are two lessons [we draw] from this cautionary tale…
• The big data scientist should be cautioned…
• What is needed is…
• We believe that…
• Finally…as a result…

In your groups:

1. Go to the shared Google slides doc to complete your work – Choose the slide that corresponds to your Breakout Room #.
2. Divide up the sentences among yourselves in your group
3. Restate each sentence in your own words – use simpler word substitutions where needed.
4. Be ready to share your work with the whole group
5. Here is the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yI_AUyfVe6ml3Gugnf4wqz8Env5Vi1ft217p0BlL8Q4/edit#slide=id.gd292f7c2af_0_23

When you finish, go to the last page of this tutorial on Putting it All Together for a last check-up