Community: ________________________
Why is this community important/interesting to explore?
Where, within NYC and the surrounding area, can this community be found?
What is the latest news about the community?
What three aspects (issues) of the community are important to focus on? And what is our position regarding each of these issues?
No Issue Position regarding the issue
1
2
3
Write what you know about the community.
Sample community description on the web:
● https://www.nyctourism.com/new-york/queens/
● https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/realestate/the-neighborhood-name-game.html
● https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/you-voted-chelsea-nycs-coolest-neighborhoodhere-are-five-other-red-hot-neighborhoods-in-the-city
● https://quirkytravelguy.com/best-new-york-city-neighborhoods/
● https://travellemming.com/new-york-city-neighborhoods/
● https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/queens-new-york/places
● https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/06/23/nyregion/nyc-mayor-primary-results-precinct-map.html
Step 2 – Focusing (Draft 1)
After reading at least one article about and our existing knowledge of the community, start writing
- What is this community known for? List as many as you know.
What is the most important / interesting issue about this community?
- Based on your initial review of information, what specific elements of the issue are important to explore further. Why?
- What is our current position regarding the issue and the community? Explain.
- What questions do you want to answer about the community and the issues?
- What evidence will you have to gather to support your position? How are you going to collect them?
a. Primary Source. Identify two groups of informants that can help you answer your questions about the community and the issue.
b. Secondary Source. Remember you must find at least one news article, one information issued by the government, one organization, and two scholarly articles.
- Who would be your key informants? Why them? What questions will you ask them?
- What can your opponent say about your position and reasons?
Step 3 – Gathering sources (Draft 2)
All the information for this project must be based on:
● your observation of the place/space/community
● your interview of members of at least two groups of the community
● artifacts you have the permission to take from or of the community including pictures of significant objects, events or characters; and
● articles that you research and find in one of Queensborough community college (QCC) electronic databases
- Secondary Sources.
a. You need five (5) secondary sources of different types: Government Data (one), Magazine/Newspaper (one), Scholarly Journal articles (two), and organization (one).
b. Print or save all your five secondary sources as pdf. Read and annotate the details that you might borrow in developing your paper.
c. For each source, create a bibliographic information according to MLA, summarize the source’s argument, and describe its relevance to your project. - Primary Sources
You also need information from your primary sources—the community. Start by observing the community, then find key members of the community to interview. Remember to keep detailed notes when observing and interviewing. After every observation or interview, summarize the key points in your notes.
Bring your observation and interview notes to class as per the schedule.
a. Observation:
When will you conduct the observation?
What event will you observe?
Why this particular event/person/place?
How long will your observation be?
What do you hope to learn from this observation?
Take THREE pictures of significant objects in the community and note the following details:
- What is this object? Where is it located?
- How does the community interact with/around it?
- What information about it is the community willing to share?
b. Interview:
Who are the key members of the community? Who will you interview?
How would the information from the informant be useful for your essay?
When and where will you interview them?
Will you be able to record the interview?
Conducting an Interview – Guidelines
● The purpose of an interview is to find what the issue means to the community members. You may ask them direct questions, but part of your research is to analyze what they say.
● Ask them to tell you a story or memories of their experience(s) in the community and on the issue. This might provide better evidence of what the issue means to them.
● Record what they say on your field notes (or audio record if they agree and you have access to the technology). Write your notes on a separate page for every informant.
● Make sure to get detailed demographic information at the beginning. Also ask if they would like you to use their real name; otherwise, ask them for a pseudonym they prefer to use.
● Remember, you are having a conversation with the community members, so do not rush them. Let them complete their thoughts on any given topic you ask.
List your questions below. What demographic information (age, gender, occupation etc.) will be relevant? What information about the topic or issue (at least five content questions) will help you learn and discuss the topic/issue? For each content question also consider follow-up and alternative questions.
Demographic questions
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Content questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Other questions, such as those related to significant objects/events:
i.
ii.
iii.
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