The Bedford Researcher - Chp. 1

The focus of Chapter 1 of The Bedford Researcher was on how to get started in writing a research paper or document. A few main themes in the reading included: choosing a role as a writer, considering your audience, writing within a genre, how to develop a topic, and what guidelines to follow when deciding on your thesis. This week in class we have been starting to consider our topics, how to begin in the process of writing, and what guidelines we should follow in developing our research papers for this class. This chapter was very relevant to our class labs and discussions as it gave very helpful information about brainstorming, developing a writing timeline, and following guidelines for success as we begin our research papers..

Selecting a Topic

Potential Ideas -

• why feminism is not actually furthering equality*
• gun rights in America versus other countries*
• effects of distracted driving
• should evolution be taught as fact in schools
• public attitude toward the police force*
• effect of the digital age on families*

In high school, I was once assigned to write a paper about the African American influence on music throughout history. Looking back, I think I could've had a lot of fun writing this paper, as there is a lot of different things a writer could focus on, but at the time, I found it disappointing and boring, as all I wrote about was different types of music and how it evolved. I didn't connect personally with it and I didn't make an effort to do so. Going back, I definitely would've written it in such a way that interested me so that I could have written the paper more smoothly and been proud of my work.

http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol10is2/dowler.html

http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/distracted-driving.aspx

http://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Abstract/2011/01000/Homicide,_Suicide,_and_Unintentional_Firearm.35.aspx

http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/wiswo3&div=10&id=&page=