Anna, Jake, Kassie, and Heather contend that...

...the most popular area at Bracken Library for undergraduates is the first floor. They believe this is due to the easy access, since the entrances are at this level, and also because there are plenty of computers on this floor.

Alisha, Kristen, Megan, and Stephanie are discovering...

...some of the reasons that people ride the campus shuttle, and what they do to occupy themselves while riding the shuttle.

Adam, Angelina, Cody, and Garrett are comparing...

...the ways that male and female undergraduates use the library. For example, they noticed that women seem to go to the library in groups, while men tend to go alone.

Katie, Xin, Pat, and Josh are looking into...

...the reasons that students choose specific food-service stations at LaFollette. They contend that students who are in a hurry will select different options than students who have more time to relax over their meal.

Sara, Q, Brandon, and Chandler are wondering...

...how people behave at the Atrium, one of the campus dining centers. In particular, they wonder how people behave when eating alone versus eating with friends.

Glenda, Valerie, Matt, Daniel investigate...

...how students use Bracken Library and what changes have been made to encourage students to visit. In particular, they look at how students are utilizing the library as a place of social interaction.

Analyzing Argument

You will have a difficult time constructing an effective argument on your topic unless you take the time to analyze the arguments of others--and why they are or are not effective. Here is an easy introduction to analyzing argument, which focuses on the most common logical fallacies: http:www.ehow.com/how_2301274_analyze-argument.html. Another source on analyzing argument, focuses on more difficult topics, such as the syllagism and enthymeme, inductive and deductive arguments, and inartistic and artistic proofs: http://rhetorica.net/argument.htm

Interviews: Expect the Unexpected

Think carefully about your group's interviewing process. Which group member is likely to establish rapport with which informant? Will the questions you ask be the same for each informant or will the questions vary slightly? At this point your group should have agreed upon a general research question, which should help guide your efforts in interviewing. You should have also discussed who you intend to interview and why this person would make a good informant. When you conduct your interviews, remember, you are not interrogating your informants; you are trying to learn from them. Be open to things not going exactly as planned, and be interested in what your informants have to say. Don't forget to obtain a signed interview release form. Here are some last-minute tips on ethnographic interviewing techniques.