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What are you guys doing in your work journal? (1 Viewer)

ArtemisOrthia

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Basically my teacher said there are a number of different approaches to the journal, and it differs on student to student. The most sound way to record your research is to treat it as a Diary, recount your progress in a recount form, write down your thought processes and ideas as well.

Basically what I am doing, is several concept maps (mind you I'm still very much in the planning stage and not quite into the construction of information) which show the ideas I have, then off-shooting from the central focus is any problems or thought I'm having during the process. I've also got into a habit of writing / copying all the information I've researched and found useful into the journal, and also critiquing the usefulness / reliability of the source to my Major Work.

But yeah, treat it as you want. Just make sure you are recording the processes of your research and also include any important references / sources you discover, and also recount your thoughts, whether that be dot points, a written entry, mind maps, what ever you fancy. Just put everything in there. :)

I wish you luck for your Major Work! Hopefully this helped you out a little bit. :)
 

suling

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As ArtemisOrthia says, basically treat it like a diary. My teacher stressed to my class that it is a process of personal reflection more than anything. Basically, I put down ideas at the start, and how these ideas progressed into a focus area and eventually a question. I also had entries where I talked about and briefly evaluated sources that I had looked at, noting how useful I thought they would be to my investigation.

Looking back through my journal, I can clearly see how my project and ideas developed as I got more information and started to form it into an essay - I think this is what it should be like. (I got full marks for it anyway). The journal is a really useful tool for just recording your thoughts - I wrote so much in there that helped me in writing the essay eventually, e.g. my first impressions of a source and any useful comments I had made on it.

Basically, as ArtemisOrthia also suggests, you just have to find what works for you. In the end it is just a record of your progress.

Also, have fun doing it!
 
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I'm making mine pretty personal - just doing entries when I have new thoughts or have found a good source :)
 

suling

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I wrote in mine way too much....all through the year my teacher was like "you know the entries just have to be a few lines each right? Not one or two pages." =P

Got full marks though.
 
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what?!?! oh no, I've been writing two page entries the whole time - oh well i might get full marks too !
 

suling

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what?!?! oh no, I've been writing two page entries the whole time - oh well i might get full marks too !
Haha don't worry about it.... I think longer entries are often better. It shows that you are more involved and reflective. Everyone else in my class (all 4 of them lol) did pretty short entries and all lost marks.

If you like writing them why not?
 

ArtemisOrthia

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I also prefer writing longer journal entries; I like having more detailed recounts of my thought processes and reflection on sources, so mine also get a bit lengthy.

I guess it's up to the teacher dependent on whether you keep writing longer entries, if they don't mind go for it! If they have issues, just break 'em up a bit. I know my teacher couldn't care less on length; she only has one Extension log book to check this year, so. :D
 

cem

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As the teacher is the one who is marking it take their advice - I like longer responses that show the development of the topic and engaging with the research and the issues etc.

I like my students to write every time they do some work, after each piece of research and after each time they get a draft of something back.
 
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ok good! i actually prefer doing the longer entries because i feel like im engaging with the process of development more and i'm able to reflect upon my ideas and make some judgments about the sources im finding and looking at
 

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