Chapter 4: Researching Your Big Ideas

The research that Rhiannon and Madison did for PROJECT ORANGS resulted in them understanding two underlying causes of orangutan and other animal species depopulation. Those contingent factors were:

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• 
• 
• 

Thompson points out through the case study of PROJECT ORANGS that youth advocates are mostly likely to be dismissed because of their:

According to Thompson, there are certain guiding questions that one SHOULD ask when researching their passion-skill-problem combination. Please identify the three questions that Thompson DOES include in her recommendation list.

• Who might oppose your cause and why?

• Do they even want help?

• Who is making the decisions now?

• What is your perspective on the issue?

• How will you communicate with those in need?

Thompson makes some foundational research suggestions when collecting information about your chosen passion-skill-problem combination.

Please match each research roadblock with its MOST adequate solution.

• Social Media

• The sources I find are not corroborated by other information.

• Journaling

• I cannot locate a source or piece of contact information that I recently found.

• Check for Bias

• The people I need to talk with are so hard to get in touch with.

• Organization

• I need to answer questions and develop new questions to ask.

• Online Search Engines

• I don't know where to begin with my investigation into the problem.

Thompsons' top two recommended methods for collecting relevant information from experts relevant to your passion-skill-problem combination are _____​ and _____.

• interviews
• surveys
• case studies
• advertisements
• experiments

When preparing for an interview with an expert in your passion-skill-problem combination, do the following in order.

• Identify and remove irrelevant or low-level questions.

• Prepare the final list of high level questions to ask the expert.

• State your purpose clearly and then ask your questions.

• Listen to responses without feeling the need to talk to fill in the silence.

• Ask an open-ended question to solicit any remaining thoughts.

Thompson indicates that the primary similarity between an interview and a survey is that both should be kept as short and simple as possible. Complicated questions are inappropriate.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

False! Thompson is keen to explain that surveys should be short and simple, but that interviews are the prime opportunity for asking an expert more detailed and complex questions.

Thompson suggests that if a project idea feels too big or overwhelming, consider focusing on one portion of the problem and removing ideas that still have too many unanswered questions.

• True

• False

What did the author discover about people despite being shy and introverted?

• They appreciate being asked about what they do and care about.

• They prefer not to be asked about their interests.

• They don't like talking to shy and introverted people.

• They find shy and introverted people annoying.

The author learned that once you take the chance to ask for an interview, someone who says yes is most likely appreciative that their efforts are being: