Harry, Great start. Perhaps one way to encourage the conversation rather than the "search-for-what-supports-my-particular-pre-conceived view", is fewer assignments that encourage either-or thinking. Arizona immigration law, abortion, capital punishment, hydro-fraking etc etc ad nausiam Many assignments I see students researching require a stance; surely a noble thought and worthy goal but that approach seems to preclude real open-mindedness and fearless research. Add to that the fact that, as one article linked in your article points out, scholarly sources are virtually indecipherable to most freshmen (http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2011/10/27/i-need-three-peer-reviewed-articles-or-the-freshman-research-paper/) , true inquiry is doomed. I have also observed, that many students tend to construct a final thesis before doing ANY research- often at a professor's insistence that they submit a thesis before beginning a paper. I envy the sciences approach of hypothesis, which at least allows a "successful:" inquiry even if disproven (not proven?) There is a book severl professors use, the title of which alone is a great paradigm: They Say...I Say. I work one-on-one with many students and try to be an honest broker of the other side, or more accurately, the stance that there are many sides: a conversation with the topic if you will. Rick ________________________________________ From: Teaching Breakfast List [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pence, Harry ([log in to unmask]) Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2011 8:28 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: More on library research Barb always has interesting things to say, and this comment of the way research paper assignments are done looks unusully interesting. http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/burkes-parlor-tricks-introducing-research-conversation Harry Harry E. Pence SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus SUNY Oneonta