5th Source

Research Prospectus (10%)

  1. Building Critical Mass

The first part of building critical mass involves infotention — the practice of filtering through large quantities of information from the “collective intelligence” of the web and distilling the good stuff.

This means reading, re-reading, and more reading.

This process is by far the most arduous. You will encounter multiple false-leads, dead-ends — it is all part of the research/writing process. 

Part of the frustration is non-linear nature of this process. Think of it as building the haystack before extracting the needle. However, once you reach critical mass, the process (including writing the essay) is mostly downhill. 

Another way to look at it: Reaching critical mass means that you will have sufficiently digested the materials you have gathered and are ready to argue your position.

Exercise: complete at least five tables (one for each source). 

What is the title of your source? 
“The Grief Experience: Survey Shows It’s Complicated” by Debbie Koenig
Copy and Paste the Abstract of your source. If no abstract is available, summarize in your own words what the source is about.
The article explores the emotions and experiences individuals undergo during the grieving process. It seems that many participants commonly mentioned feelings of sadness and depression which can significantly impact their lives. The specific symptoms they experienced varied depending on the type of loss they had encountered, affecting both their appetite and emotional well being. These are the minor symptoms most individuals had gone through during the grieving process.




In your own words, what is the author’s thesis (position)?

The author’s thesis is how grief can slowly impact in our life from different aspect.

In your own words, what are the subclaims made by the author? In other words, how does the author substantiate or defend their position?
The author mentions how they can encounter with their appetite and not being able to function emotionally.







Key quotes: list and cite (page ref.) at least three quotes from the source that you think may be useful for your essay.

“those who mourned lost relationships were the most likely to have extended grief, with 20% saying it had lasted more than a year. Emotionally, this group was more likely to have depression (53%) and anger (48%) than any other group.They were also likely to have changes in appetite (54%) and more likely to have stomachaches (41%)”

“Nearly half of those mourning a serious illness (47%) reported a hard time sleeping,.. Emotionally, this group of people who lost friends grief was more likely to have depression (53%) and anger (48%) than any other group.”

“When someone you know is grieving, it can be hard to know what to say — and how it is interpreted. “









What key sources does the author rely upon? List at least three. (Useful for further research)

“those who mourned lost relationships were the most likely to have extended grief, with 20% saying it had lasted more than a year. Emotionally, this group was more likely to have depression (53%) and anger (48%) than any other group.They were also likely to have changes in appetite (54%) and more likely to have stomachaches (41%)”

– Sadness and depression are often present, but other symptoms such as anger, guilt, and anxiety may also arise. These emotions can vary in intensity and duration depending on the individual and the nature of their loss. Additionally, individuals may experience physical symptoms such as changes in appetite and sleep patterns. It is important to seek support during this time and to engage in self-care practices to help manage these symptoms.