Research
Being ill-prepared will make people appear to be either unprofessional or naïve because they fail to do research; people will not listen to others that they view as inexperienced. In both high school and collegeresearch papers and projects have always been included in the curriculum for students to effectively find information about a range of topics assigned by different professors. It helps students discover the position that they want to pursue in order to prove their viewpoint. This prepares students for the future, such as presenting a presentation at their workplace. Students will either discover information that will acknowledge their viewpoint and defendtheir position or change their perspectives entirely. Research is beneficial because it expands knowledge, creates points of views, and prevents misleading information.
To begin with, research is beneficial because it expands knowledge on various topics that students are passionate about, and they discover new information that will support their views. For instance, when my basic information literacy and research professor assigned me to write about a current issue, I chose to write a research paper on immigration. I knew the position that I wanted to proceed with. I created a tree map that included issues that were relevant to the topic that I chose and searched for one of my issues. When I researched articles from Old Dominion’s database, I learned new information about immigration that would support my position. Another example is when I had to do a project on Madam C.J. Walker for my history class for black history month. I only knew some information about her since she was not included in the curriculum. When I researched articles about her, I found out that she was the first African American female to become a millionaire. Although it may not seem significant to most people, it was to me because not many women were known to be self-made millionaires during that era. Also, women were not able to vote during that time period. In brief, my professors gave me assignments that made me seek beyond what I know and use outside resources that taught me new information.
Next, research is beneficial since it aids writers increating points of views because without it, how will the audience know my position? For instance, if I write a research paper about whether the government using surveillance on people is infringing upon people’s rights or not, I need to show my audience for the position that I am taking as a writer. I cannot only show that my stance is the only viewpoint credibleregarding the topic I chose, but I also need to include a rebuttal to showcase the other side of my stance. When I research information, there will always be information that varies from one article to the next article because some researchers have varying discoveries that contradict other discoveries based on the same topic. Writing a research paper requires me to be open-minded and acknowledge the other side, but I should not write about the opposing side because my audience will be confused by my position. Therefore, researching helps me create a clear stance when I write my papers.
Lastly, research is beneficial because it prevents misleading information from being included inthe paper. For instance, opinions are not facts; not until they are proven by research from a convincing scholar will opinions become facts. If a paper is composed of information based solely on my opinions, I will most likely lose credibility once I present it to my professor and peers. It would show that I did not put much thought into writing my paper or doing my project because I did not take the time to research my topic and find evidence that supports my stance. Students want to present a research paper that has information proven by credible sources because it fits the criteria of a quality research paper and will show that their view is reasonable. In fact, misleading information in a research paper or project makes students appear to be dishonorable.
Thus, research is beneficial because it expands knowledge, creates points of views, and prevents misleading information. It prepares people on their future endeavors. Our professors want students to know how to write a well-thought-out research paper because it will become a requirement if students prepare to advance their studies. It is also beneficial because people need to effectively research on issues that could impact them because they may be given misleading information that could be deadly. People cannot blindly follow what others disclose; they need to form their own point of view with well-developed research.