Part 2: Wondering and "Pre-searching" with Virginia Rankin...

Through writing many, many high school book reports and history research papers, to undergraduate history essays and reports, to finally a graduate thesis on the Tito-Stalin Split following World War II, I realized I had been doing my research wrong! This revelation came to me after reading about Virginia Rankin's "Pre-search" 1999 model and how this critical technique helps students gain "a more sure footing before entering the larger search for information on an assigned topic" (Callison, 38). I never stopped to reflect develop key words and vocabulary names, or even categorize common themes, topics. I just went to the library, checked out every book I could on whatever topic I was working on, and then took the plunge right into the book/journal article.

I fell into the trap most students, as described by Rankin where "Most students do not see research as an occasion for thinking: many feel they are being asked to perform a task that could be better done by a machine -- a photocopy machine" (Rankin). That's how I felt doing history papers: deciding on a topic that somewhat constricted by the course or teacher itself; copying down every background information I thought I needed, pulling out some quotes that looked relevant to what I was writing about, and then sat down at the computer with my index cards. It wasn't until I had typed up the paper that I realized I had "regurgitated" basic textbook material back -- only without my take, argument, view, or hypothesis. This style of research worked through high school and as an undergrad, but looking back, now I can understand why I had some trouble with my thesis because I didn't do much "pre-search" or stop and follow Dr. Lamb's "Watching" and "Wondering" stages. Luckily, my one thesis advisor said to break things down first by ideas, topics, and keep a journal of thoughts, comments, and questions that develop from my readings.

So, after reading about Rankin "pre-search" model at http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/presearch.htm, and Dr.Lamb's "Wondering" lesson at http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/wondering.htm, sat down generating workable questions, possible topics through a concept map, and categorizing terms and important concepts. I first went to Wikipedia and checked out its website at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_the_ripper and began skimming through for bold-faced words, italicized words, and subheading topics. Examples of some of these include:

1. Ripperologists


2. Canonical Five Victims


3. Ripper Letters


4. Investigation and the White Chapel Vigilance Committee


5. Theories on Jack the Ripper suspects

Next, I used both Rankin's and Dr. Lamb's research steps and strategies to narrow my question/topic down further. I wrote down the above items and decided to turn them each into valuable research questions (something that I wanted to know about instead of being assigned). This occurred to me after her comment pertaining to students coming up with their own questions and curiosities instead of being assigned the teacher-controlled type: "There is a world of difference between being given the questions, and coming up with them yourself. My students owned their questions: the questions mattered to them"(Rankin).

What occurred next is my concept chart as shown above. Some questions I'm tossing around including: How and why has this unsolved murder played a pivotal role in today's pop culture and entertainment world? Why are there Ripperologists and what is their "obsession" and cult following? Did the newspapers during this time deliberately sensationalize the unsolved murders to make the White Chapel police look incompetent? Are their any truths behind the various theories, including the Masonic Conspiracy Plot, Anti-Semitic, or Royal cover-up?

I think Rankin would be pleased with my new "pre-search" strategies and approaches. Though I still feel overwhelmed by the topic, and the wealth of information (both print and non print) available, I do "own" this topic and future questions and discoveries I learn through inquiry exploration.

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Sources Cited:

Callison, Daniel and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book On Information Age, Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

Rankin, Virginia. "Pre-Search: Intellectual Access to Information." School Library Journal 38 (1992): 168-70.