Research Log Guidelines
CRJU/POSC 320 – Introduction to Public Administration
📚 What Is a Research Log?
The Research Log is a weekly writing task (2–3 sentences) that tracks your thought process as you build your Policy Brief. It’s not a summary of what you wrote—it’s a reflection on what you learned, struggled with, or discovered.
You will complete one log entry per week, embedded directly at the end of your policy brief Google Doc.
🎯 Purpose
Research Logs help you:
- Reflect on your research process, not just your results
- Track how your understanding of the issue is evolving
- Show me how you’re thinking about public administration
- Demonstrate genuine engagement with course materials
They also help protect your work against concerns about AI use by making your development process more transparent.
✍️ What to Write
Each week, answer the question:
“What did I learn this week from my research that helped me understand the problem, context, or solutions better?”
Here are some example sentence starters:
- This week I found a report from the GAO showing…
- I learned that the challenge is more about X than I originally thought…
- I’m struggling to find a source that explains…
- I realized my original framing missed…
- The Kettl chapter changed how I think about…
✅ Expectations
| Element | Standard |
|---|---|
| Length | 2–3 thoughtful sentences |
| Tone | Informal but reflective—first person is fine |
| Specificity | Reference a source, insight, difficulty, or breakthrough |
| Connection | Tie to your topic or course concept (e.g., efficiency, equity, structure) |
| Placement | Add to the bottom of your Google Doc each week |
🔎 Sample Log Entries
This week I found a Brookings report on pandemic telework that helped me frame the management problem more clearly. It showed how unclear performance expectations created confusion, which ties into Kettl’s point about accountability (p. 117).
I originally thought the vaccine coordination problem was just about logistics. But after reading a CRS report, I realized the real issue was unclear federal guidance, which is an intergovernmental challenge. I might revise my problem statement.
I found a lot of political rhetoric about infrastructure funding but fewer actual evaluations. That surprised me. I may need to rely more on GAO reports and implementation studies to explain the performance side.
📅 When Is It Due?
Each week, your Research Log is due at the same time as your policy brief draft:
- Saturday, 11:59 PM, Weeks 1–4
- Friday, 11:59 PM, Week 5 (final reflection)
💡 Why It Matters
The Research Log is worth 10% of your final course grade, and it helps me see your growth as a public administration thinker.
Think of it as your intellectual breadcrumb trail—a record of how you wrestled with a real problem in real time.
It’s not just about the final product; it’s about how you got there.