Homework Question
We are just a week away from the end of the class. I know you will be working hard to complete your assignments. Here, we take a break from the flow of the work to ask a question and consider the answers to:
What, in your view, are the key elements in the research and writing process, from the research topic to the final revisions of the research paper?
Which of these “keys” came easily to you and which ones did you struggle with? For those that required more effort, what caused the need for extra effort?
What can you do, looking forward to the remainder of your degree program, to help you breeze through assignments that come easily for you and to help you ease some of the stress on those parts of research and writing that you have more difficulty with?
Remember, no one is a perfect researcher and there is no standard of perfection in writing. Your professors have been in the world of research and writing for quite some time and yet it is still a learning process for all of us. The best we can do is try to continue to improve.
YOUR POST SHOULD BE 300 WORDS AND REFLECT YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WEEK’S MATERIAL. YOU SHOULD RESPOND TO TWO CLASSMATES. EACH RESPONSE SHOULD BE 150 WORDS AND CONTAIN DIRECT QUESTIONS WHICH ARE MEANT TO STIMULATE DISCUSSION.Initial Post Due: Thursday, by 11:55pm, ET
Responses Due: Sunday, by 11:55pm, ET
Student responses
Student#1 Christopher
Good Morning Class,
I cannot believe we are this close to finishing another class! From my point of view, some of the key elements of the research and writing process are first and foremost structure. You must have a good structure to your paper in order to have it make sense to whom ever is reading it. Your research must be studied and founded with accuracy is another important element. Making sure that the information is accurate and credited gives you and your paper credibility.
Grammar and sentence structure, the English aspect of it, has always come easy to me. The part that I struggle with is the research aspect. Finding the credible sources has always been difficult for me. The internet is a big place and not all the info you find on there is trustworthy. Knowing the correct searches engines and keywords is paramount in the research process.
Research is not my only issue when writing a paper. Putting all my thoughts together to where it makes sense without me rambling is sometimes an issue as well. I really need to work on being concise and straight to the point on my writing. Having enough “meat” and not too much fluff is important in my point of view. This is where you need to fine tune your research in order to weed out the extra parts that are not relevant.
I really enjoyed the last point that was made about no one being a perfect researcher and no perfect standard of writing! I enjoy writing but will never be perfect at it. Going forward, I think, practice will make us all better. Taking what we learn about research methods in this class and others will help us all become better writers and researchers.
You all have a great week!
Student#2 Alexandra
Good Evening Class,
In my view, the key elements in the research and writing process from the research topic to the final revision will be organization, credible sources, and time management. In the beginning, always struggle with finding enough information from credible resources. However, once I get going, I find it a lot easier to organize the information I gather. Time management is a fifty-fifty gamble when it comes to easier or more difficult element. I say this because I have a one year old. Between taking care of her and working full time, finding time to sit down at the computer in silence is a feat not easily accomplished. Another issue I will be running into over the next three months will be moving from Louisiana to Nevada. I just received word this week of my new assignment. It’s exciting and scary at the same time, because the last time I moved was seven years ago. I will be taking a month or two off of school to ensure I have my family situated for the big cross country move. After that I plan on taking the next course in my degree plan. Looking forward, I can continue to do the things like staying organized as I currently do. However, as far as finding time and the struggle to gather information at the beginning of an assignment, I can set aside some, “me” time to complete my homework and assignments. I have found it easier staying after work where it is quiet and completing some assignments. Maybe at the next base I can continue to do that. As far as the writer’s block that I get before a big research paper or assignment, I plan on saving these lessons and break downs from this course and previous courses. I can look back at these assignments and have the broken down steps and references in a folder to refer back to if I ever get stuck.
-Alex
