Following are the instructions for next week's class, the focus of which will be suggestions for the possible 'improvement' or 'expansion' of selected past papers from the perspective of subsequent readers of those papers.

Group Composition and Paper Selection

• Students should work in pairs or in groups of three.

• Each 'group' will report on two papers. First, all groups will report on Donald Duck Comics as a Finnish Institution (Eskelinen, 2008) — chosen as an example of a 'Finnish institution' with which all students will be familiar.

• Second, each group will also choose one additional paper, which must be notified to the other groups so that each group will report on a different paper. A separate web page will identify 'group' compositions and the second paper each group has chosen.

Questions to Be Addressed With Each Paper

For the two papers, each group should discuss the following:

1. Were the paper's research questions (a) presented clearly, (b) answered in the body of the paper, and (c) summarized in the concluding section?

2. If the paper did not have a clear research question, as this was not required before 2005, what might a question or questions have been?

3. What other question(s) for this topic might also have been posed? What additional detail could have made their answer(s) better (if relevant)?

4. What additional sources might have been used to further develop or 'balance' the paper or clarify information which was presented?

5. What points of the paper could have been further clarified by the addition of original research? Briefly, how might such original research for the paper have been done (via what tools, instruments or procedures)? (See also Designing and Integrating Original Research).

6. If there was an original research component, how do you feel it might have been done differently? What would have been the advantage of this different procedure?

7. What would be an example of a 'theory' that could have been used for the paper?

Notifying the Class of Group Members and 'Second' Paper Selected

• Groups should inform others in the class via the FIN1-L list by Friday (or inform John directly, in which case he will relay the note to FIN1-L) of the second paper each group has chosen, so all students can read all the papers that will be discussed before class. During class, John will display the paper on-screen. The group will discuss where in the paper the points it wishes to discuss are located so John can scroll to that text. The group will then give its comments. There may be questions/discussion by John and other class members.

• There are no 'right/wrong' answers, and there is no 'grading' on this. The point is to illustrate and discuss instances where the identification or sharpening of a 'research question', the possible 'balancing' of information presented, and/or the addition of original research, application of a 'theory', etc., could have developed 'action research' further, or where different approaches could have been taken in the paper which you feel would also have been effective (or have been more effective).

• This exercise may also prompt ideas for different questions, approaches, theories, sources, and possible original research projects to use in your own papers.