When going through a process that is as long as what we are doing, there are many choices the author has to make along the way. With the process of an Academic based paper, it is tough to go into your paper with a set mind on the structure of it. When I began my research, I compiled information from my different sources. I looked at information from both sides of the argument. With so many ways to go wrong, you have to be careful about the process that you are developing with your paper.
The first question that we were asked to discuss in this blog post was how we wanted to set our tone. I found this question confusing because that was the last thing that I wanted to do in my paper. I wanted the research from both sides of the argument to set my tone, not me. This is why I gave the reader a lot of background information and other thoughts on the topic before I presented my argument. I think if you set the tone for the paper, you are on the border of just writing an opinion paper. I don't think that was the goal of this project, so I decided to go my own route on my tone.
If the goal of this paper is to get people to understand the topic better and, in turn, get them to act, the best way to present the topic is not to force what you believe onto them. So, if you believe that the entire voting system is flawed, you will not get people interested in acting on that by just saying you are right. You have to give them other examples of what people think in order for them to decide what they feel. This is why I think that the Academic paper should be one that presents new ideas only after the reader actually understands the old ones. People are more likely to take your views seriously if you present them in the matter that I think is Academic Inquiry.
My paper is a work in progress at the moment. It seems that today, our society is more geared to visual images than anything else. This is why I am trying to find images related to the troubling facts about voting today. Visual aids can drive a point across so much better than words. They says the easier you make it on people, the more likely they will see what you are saying. That is why if I can find this image, I think my paper could be much more reader friendly.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
What does my Research Contribute? Spring Break 2
When asked the question of what I am contributing to the question that was posed, the answer is a process. In the beginning when I selected this topic, I realized that we were supposed to go into with an open mind. If you don't do this, your paper is going to be controlled by biases that you have created and presented to the reader. So when asked this question, I think I have contributed a new opinion on the topic.
I didn't just write a ten page essay on what I thought was wrong with the voting system in America. I took information that was being present to me and formed my own opinion. So, in essence, I created another piece of work that could be used for someone else to form a new opinion on. I took the individual ideas on individual topics rather than reading essays that looked at everything that they found wrong. So by doing this, I was able to get a more in depth look at arguments rather than a limited view on the problem as a whole. By doing this, this allowed me to take all of the information that was presented to me and form an entire argument on the whole situation.
Not only is my essay creating a new opinion on the topic of voting in America, it offers a large quantity of information that is able to compare. When I am giving the reader a look at the argument from both sides and then a summary of my idea on those texts, I am giving them the choice to make their own assumptions. If I were to present this topic and then only look at my side of the argument, the entire essay would be a biased look at the voting system in America. If the entire essay is a biased look, I am not meeting the goals of an Academic based research paper.
I didn't just write a ten page essay on what I thought was wrong with the voting system in America. I took information that was being present to me and formed my own opinion. So, in essence, I created another piece of work that could be used for someone else to form a new opinion on. I took the individual ideas on individual topics rather than reading essays that looked at everything that they found wrong. So by doing this, I was able to get a more in depth look at arguments rather than a limited view on the problem as a whole. By doing this, this allowed me to take all of the information that was presented to me and form an entire argument on the whole situation.
Not only is my essay creating a new opinion on the topic of voting in America, it offers a large quantity of information that is able to compare. When I am giving the reader a look at the argument from both sides and then a summary of my idea on those texts, I am giving them the choice to make their own assumptions. If I were to present this topic and then only look at my side of the argument, the entire essay would be a biased look at the voting system in America. If the entire essay is a biased look, I am not meeting the goals of an Academic based research paper.
Limitations on Writing? Spring Break Post 1
In a previous blog post, I discussed how frustrating the English 102 course diagram can be. In this paper I have surely experienced many frustrations with the writing process that goes along with this class. Personally, I am a very opinionated person. I share my thoughts very frequently. Sometimes those thoughts are not backed up by the work of someone else. If I am having a conversation on the Brewers with my friend, I am going to say what I feel on the Brewers. In doing this, I am not going to say, "the Brewers are going to be good because their hitting is the best in the NL according to ESPN."
The main tension that I am having to deal with this writing is worrying if I actually comprehend what it is I am supposed to be doing. Generally in papers, you are able to figure out how you are doing based on what was assigned to you. If you are unable to understand what is expected of you, it is tough to go forward with your writing. Like I said earlier, I like express my opinions in my writing. In academic inquiry, I am not able to express those opinions entirely to the extent I am used to.
I feel the key to this class for me is to find a medium in my writing style. Academic inquiry does require opinion in the paper. I think the process is to identify the topic, set a controlling purpose, look at research, and then form a new opinion based on what you have come across. I find myself getting into trouble because I am expressing my opinion more than those of the people's works I have read. The medium that I am talking about is not combating other's opinions, but using them in order to help develop what I am thinking.
However, I am not saying that the process in which this class makes you write through is useless. Backing up a personal opinion is a good thing and should not be criticized by me. I think the benefit that I am going to get out of this class is going to be very beneficial in my future line of work as a journalist. Any time I am able to learn a new system of writing, it will help me in the long run. I think it is just difficult for me to accept things that I have never done in the past and that is what academic inquiry is.
The main tension that I am having to deal with this writing is worrying if I actually comprehend what it is I am supposed to be doing. Generally in papers, you are able to figure out how you are doing based on what was assigned to you. If you are unable to understand what is expected of you, it is tough to go forward with your writing. Like I said earlier, I like express my opinions in my writing. In academic inquiry, I am not able to express those opinions entirely to the extent I am used to.
I feel the key to this class for me is to find a medium in my writing style. Academic inquiry does require opinion in the paper. I think the process is to identify the topic, set a controlling purpose, look at research, and then form a new opinion based on what you have come across. I find myself getting into trouble because I am expressing my opinion more than those of the people's works I have read. The medium that I am talking about is not combating other's opinions, but using them in order to help develop what I am thinking.
However, I am not saying that the process in which this class makes you write through is useless. Backing up a personal opinion is a good thing and should not be criticized by me. I think the benefit that I am going to get out of this class is going to be very beneficial in my future line of work as a journalist. Any time I am able to learn a new system of writing, it will help me in the long run. I think it is just difficult for me to accept things that I have never done in the past and that is what academic inquiry is.
Difficulties in Understanding
I think the most frustrating problem student have in the English courses here at UWM is that they really never know what is expected of them. Before I came to college, I was always taught to write in a specific way. This way is completely different from the way of academic inquiry. Even after talking about academic inquiry for the past month or so, I am still not sure that I understand what is being asked of me. This is by far the most frustrating thing about the project.
As research goes, the sources have been rather straight forward. They are very easy to interchange with one another and I have found understanding them have been quite easy. The only thing I am worried about is that I don't know if I am using their words correctly. I am presenting the reader with background information and opinions from the sources, but I am worried that that might not be the correct way to attack the paper.
If I were writing a paper for one of my high school course, I would have complete confidence in what I have compiled. I don't know if I am just worrying about the course and how the way you can pass it is set up, but it seemsthat I am not the only frustrated student when I talk to others.
As research goes, the sources have been rather straight forward. They are very easy to interchange with one another and I have found understanding them have been quite easy. The only thing I am worried about is that I don't know if I am using their words correctly. I am presenting the reader with background information and opinions from the sources, but I am worried that that might not be the correct way to attack the paper.
If I were writing a paper for one of my high school course, I would have complete confidence in what I have compiled. I don't know if I am just worrying about the course and how the way you can pass it is set up, but it seemsthat I am not the only frustrated student when I talk to others.
Research Structure
The one problem with a topic so broad, such as the voting system in America, is that it can be tough to know how to structure the paper. You can't include every single argument you find because the paper cannot be one hundred pages long. That is why I focused on the themes that I found the most common to decide what to question.
After completing my research, there were a couple of topics that were discussed in detail in numerous sources. The first topic that I found related more to the previous election. The debate was whether we should test peoples understanding before allowing them to vote. The second topic related to the problems with voting in person. It brought up the argument that maybe we should be allowed to vote over the internet. The final topic dealt with the very controversial Electoral College system. They were discussing if it we should change the Presidential election to a popular vote instead.
I decided the best way to structure the paper, was the same process I used to write it. I first used my sources and what they were writing on their thoughts. Off of those texts, I developed my answer to the question that I had posed. I thought this would be the best way to develop an academic inquiry paper.
After completing my research, there were a couple of topics that were discussed in detail in numerous sources. The first topic that I found related more to the previous election. The debate was whether we should test peoples understanding before allowing them to vote. The second topic related to the problems with voting in person. It brought up the argument that maybe we should be allowed to vote over the internet. The final topic dealt with the very controversial Electoral College system. They were discussing if it we should change the Presidential election to a popular vote instead.
I decided the best way to structure the paper, was the same process I used to write it. I first used my sources and what they were writing on their thoughts. Off of those texts, I developed my answer to the question that I had posed. I thought this would be the best way to develop an academic inquiry paper.
Research Discoveries
After reviewing the first couple of possible research topics, I have found that many of the writings are not as I had envisioned them. When I was looking for research, I thought the majority of the things I would find would not be very specific on a general topic, but discuss more of the problem with our voting system as a whole.
When reviewing these other pieces of work, I found that even though I couldn't get my entire topic from one source, that was a good thing. Every text I came across shed a new light on the topic that I hadn't read before. Instead of finding all of my research in one spot and just looking at that point of view, this allowed me to cross reference information to come up with a more specific text of information.
At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous why the department was so focused on finding scholarly sources. I thought this would extremely limit the amount of information that I could find. Although it did somewhat limit the amount of information I could find, the information I did find was trustworthy. This in the long run allowed me to save time because I didn't have to constantly check the reliability of each source. Although it can be a little more difficult to find information in the short term, scholarly sources help develop your paper so much better.
When reviewing these other pieces of work, I found that even though I couldn't get my entire topic from one source, that was a good thing. Every text I came across shed a new light on the topic that I hadn't read before. Instead of finding all of my research in one spot and just looking at that point of view, this allowed me to cross reference information to come up with a more specific text of information.
At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous why the department was so focused on finding scholarly sources. I thought this would extremely limit the amount of information that I could find. Although it did somewhat limit the amount of information I could find, the information I did find was trustworthy. This in the long run allowed me to save time because I didn't have to constantly check the reliability of each source. Although it can be a little more difficult to find information in the short term, scholarly sources help develop your paper so much better.
My Topic
When I sat down and tried to figure out a topic, I wanted to focus on something that would effect a lot of people. My first research topic that I decided on was on the impending digital transition in the United States. After writing the entire paper, I realized that the topic would be very difficult to complete what the academic inquiry process was asking. So I decided to change my topic to something else that effects a lot of America. This is when I changed the topic to focus on the voting system in America.
This is a important topic to focus on because whoever is elected into office in this nation controls our fate. I felt that it was needed to come up with the best system in order to determine who that person should be. This does not just effect the people who actually vote, it effects every member of our nation.
By writing my paper on this topic, I would like to bring some light onto a very controversial subject. It will benefit me to better understand such an important part of our nation. Maybe in doing this, I will enlighten other people.
This is a important topic to focus on because whoever is elected into office in this nation controls our fate. I felt that it was needed to come up with the best system in order to determine who that person should be. This does not just effect the people who actually vote, it effects every member of our nation.
By writing my paper on this topic, I would like to bring some light onto a very controversial subject. It will benefit me to better understand such an important part of our nation. Maybe in doing this, I will enlighten other people.
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