Free writing exercise to generate research ideas (Next Steps Workshop 2009)

Next Steps Workshop
Free Writing Exercise

January  2009


As you begin to channel your ideas into a proposal, it’s often helpful to begin with a free writing exercise. For the workshop tomorrow we would like you to complete the following “Asking Questions” exercise. 

What if you went back to where you studied abroad? Have a Q &A with yourself:
a.    What would interest you the most?
b.    What do you already know about this (place, person, idea, policy)?
c.    What questions would you have?
d.    How does this interest mesh with courses you have taken or want to take?
e.    What would qualify you to be a good person to pursue this interest?
f.    What challenges do you see in finding out more about your interest?
g.    What are ways outside of the classroom through which you think you could learn more about this subject?

See what you come up with and bring what you write with you tomorrow!