The Bedford Researcher

Luis Sarmiento
ENGL 1020
My Research Project: Generate Ideas about a Topic
In your research log, use brainstorming, freewriting, looping, and clustering to
generate ideas for a topic.
Brainstorm responses to the following questions.

What do I want to accomplish with this project?

I want to improve my research skills and widen my imaginative and
creative side.

What interests me personally about this project?

The aspect of this project that interests me the most is all the freedom
we have to interpret the end of the world in the way that we want.

What interests me academically about this project?

This project interests me academically because it helps me further
widen my range of knowledge in a topic that I already love while also
challenging me academically to view this topic in a totally different
way.

Who are my readers?

My readers are my fellow English 1020 peers.

What topics do my readers need to read about?

My readers need to read or have basic knowledge on technological
advances in our society.

What topics would my readers like to read about?

My readers would like to read about apocalyptic events and
technological advances.

Free write in response to one of the following prompts, replacing the Xs

with the ideas for topics that you generated during your brainstorming
session. Before you begin, set a goal of a certain number of minutes or a set
amount of pages you will write.

Writing about a Technological Apocalypse will help me accomplish the

following purposes:
-Create well written papers that I personally have a connection to.
-Broaden my knowledge in a topic that interests me.

I am personally interested in a Technological Apocalypse because . . .

- I just think it will be a fun topic
-It will make writing my essay easier because I could easily write about
this topic

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The Bedford Researcher

Luis Sarmiento
ENGL 1020

I am academically interested in a Technological Apocalypse

because . . .
-It will help improve my research skills
-Help me gain knowledge on a topic that pertains to my Information
Systems major

My readers need or would like to know about a Technological

Apocalypse because . . .
-I could bring new insight on the topic and maybe teach them
something about it in the process

Select a response from your freewriting activity and carry out the following
looping exercise.
1. Paste the response at the top of your word processing file or write it at
the top of a page in your notebook. Then freewrite for five more
minutes about the response.

2. Identify the best idea in this freewriting.

3. Freewrite for five more minutes about the idea youve identified.

4. Repeat the process until youve refined your idea into a potential topic.
Generate additional ideas about your potential topic by using a clustering
exercise.
1. In the middle of a sheet of paper, or in the center of a digital document
(word processing file or graphics file), write your potential topic.

2. Identify ideas that are related to your central topic and list them near
it. Think about the importance and relevance of each related idea, and
draw lines and circles to show the relationships among your ideas.

3. Write additional ideas related to the ideas in Step 2. In turn, draw lines
and circles to show their relationships to the other ideas in your cluster.

4. Repeat the process until youve created a cluster of ideas that

represents your current understanding of the topic you are considering.
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The Bedford Researcher

Luis Sarmiento
ENGL 1020

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