Whenever I hear the word “beam”, I always think of Star Trek. All it would take was one person to utter the phrase, “Beam me up, Scotty”, and then they would be off to wherever they wanted to go to!
In this context, “beam” does not mean that I will be whisked away to another spatial dimension, but it can mean that it will whisk me away to a dimension in which I will be able to fully immerse myself into the research process.
According to Joseph Bizup, a professor at Columbia University, the terms “primary, secondary, and tertiary sources” are too “rigid, disciplinary, and a-rhetroical” to be used to describe research sources. To be honest, I did not even know what a-rhetorical meant, so I am glad that he instead came up with the term BEAM.
In Bizup’s article, BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research Based Teaching,he states that BEAM is…
Background
Exhibits
Arguments
Methods
Background
Background is composed of general knowledge or, background, information. An example of background info would be using google or wikipedia. These background sources are treated as common knowledge, so I mean…
The problem that I have is that sometimes, I don’t even know what this supposedly simple “background” knowledge is. Most writers, including myself, assume that what they hold to be common sense is what their readers hold to be common sense. However, this is obviously not always the case. This is why many readers, also including myself, go to the internet to get help that is immediate and easy to understand.
Exhibit
Exhibits can be thought of as examples, as they are materials that the writer uses to strengthen their point. However, Bizup makes sure to stress that these two terms are not interchangeable. As he explains, “evidence…designates data offered in support of a claim. Exhibits lend support to claims, but they can also provide occasions for claims” (Bizup 4).
If this sounds confusing, don’t worry because I was confused too. Essentially though, evidence is used to support already made claims while exhibits are more malleable and help the writers through to develop their own claims.
Argument
Arguments can be two people, or two little ponies, arguing over silly things, but in this case arguments are claims that a writer uses to enter into a conversation with its reader. The writer can refute, refine, or extend these claims in some way to further their argument and make the reader agree with them.
Every day, I use an argument. Whether it is in a discussion in class, a conversation with friends, or with whatever paper I am writing. It is important for me to have a good argument so that I may be able to truly get my point across.
Method
Methods are “materials from which a writer derives a governing concept or a manner of working”. Writers use the perspectives/lens of other writers, scholars, and more to help them to better focus and back up their own claims. They acknowledge their important method to include a recognizable source that way they can be affiliated with that “school of thought”.
In one of my last posts, I had to look through the lens of other scholars to help me to form my own point, and some “they say” points. I did not completely agree with what some of the scholars had to say because it was in opposition to what I was arguing, so it was helpful to look at the issue from their prospective to help me write.
So…
I think that BEAM is actually really helpful! It will be able to help me to better write and be more focused while writing my upcoming research papers. I definitely have not mastered it yet, but with help, I’m sure that I will be able to soon.
Images
Image 1: https://www.occupycorporatism.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Orig.src_.Susanne.Posel_.Daily_.News-star.trek_.transporter.quantum_occupycorporatism.jpg
Image 2: https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/AAEAAQAAAAAAAAQNAAAAJDNkOWU1ODI1LWYwNDQtNDViMS1hZmRkLTFhMGM0YjBkNDlhNw.jpg
Image 3: http://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-little-pony-3VKWZ7KqIfD5C