RR #3 Wadsworth Ch. 4-5

          In chapter 4 of Wadsworth Guide to Research, they discuss how to find resources through secondary research. Secondary resources are produced through someone else, and not straight through the source. The first thing they discuss is locating resources. They discuss types of resources and the two different categorizations: how texts change over time, and how texts are reviewed. Static resources include books, websites, or software applications. Syndicated resources are resources that are published over time under the same title. These include sources such as magazines, newspapers, blogs, podcasts, and journals. Dynamic resources are always changing with time, such as social networking sites, online communities, e-mail lists, and newsgroups. Also when conducting research, one must have a research plan.
          Chapter 5 explains how to conduct primary research. When making observations, researchers should use all of their senses. An important part of recording observations is a double-entry journal. One side is for observations, and the other side is for reflection. Another way of conducting primary research is through an interview. When conducting an interview there are three important steps: setting the interview time and location with the person or people, write your interview questions, and decide how to record the interview. Surveys can also be a good example of primary research. Once you have gathered your research, one must present it properly using the IMRAD format. This stands for introduction, methodology, results, analysis, and discussion.
          I think that these two chapters were very informative. They will definitely help considering we are about to start our research for our topics. I like how the book discusses many different types of research that is not normally thought of and used. I have never discussed the difference between primary and secondary research in any of my english classes before.  By understanding the difference, I think it helps you to find more of a variety of resources to use in researching a topic. The book also does a great job of explaining in detail how to conduct each type of research. It will be very helpful to look back at these while researching my topic.

RR #2 Wadsworth Ch. 2-3

          Writing a research paper is done by following a set of steps. Invention is first, when the author develops an argument and discovers what he or she will say to the audience. The information then must be put together in an order that the author wants to present it, a method called arrangement. Style refers to how the author conveys what he or she has written. Memory and delivery are concerned with how the speech is performed. Researching is the next step. It is helpful in any stage of writing and can be gathered from many different sources. Drafting helps generate ideas that you may use in your research paper. Peer review is an important step of editing. You have a chance to see what your audience has to say about the research that you have done. Peer review is not just proofreading. It is a chance for other people to comment on the paper as a whole. Revising, editing, and proofreading help polish off your paper. It is a last chance to fix any mistakes and finish off what you have to say. It will get you another step closer to your final draft. Once you have finished all the steps, publishing is the final thing. This refers to how you will present your writing to your audience.
          I thought that the textbook did a great job of explaining the way a paper should be written. Although it does give a detailed set of steps to follow, it also allows the author to freely do what he or she feels in necessary to complete a research paper. These steps will definitely help me with my research paper, and also in picking a topic.

Research.......

Throughout the early years of high school I was very unsure of what career I wanted to pursue when I got older. I had been very involved in sports for my entire life, but also had many other interests. When I was really young I wanted to be play in the WNBA. As I got older and more mature, I realized I needed a more realistic dream. I went through many different phases. I wanted to be an interior designer, an architect, a graphic designer. My senior year had arrived, and I finally had decided. Music had been a large part of my life for many years. I was involved in choir at a young age, and stuck with it through high school, but I had never had any professional lessons. I wanted to be a singer. Being a Muncie local, I knew Ball State had a great music program, and I was interested in going to school in my home town. If I was going to get into the music program, I was going to need a lot of work. I wanted the best vocal coach I could find. Believe it or not, there aren't many vocal coaches in Muncie, Indiana. We were on a low budget, and did not want to travel far considering I had school, was a three sport athlete, and participated in swing choir. My mom and I called around for weeks and finally found the right fit. I only had to travel about two minutes from my house, and it was fifty dollars per hour. I only had about 3 months of training before my audition. Long story short, I got accepted into the music program. If I wouldn't have found my amazing vocal coach, I don't think I would have gotten in. I lot of work went into finding him, and it definitely paid off.