- “The researcher (…) takes an active role in seeking. Seeking is not limited to locating what exists, but also extends to creating new data or information in service of answering a question or solving a problem.” I thought this was interesting because it gives us a whole new meaning on what it is to research or look for data. The definition of Research is “the study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.” However in this quote, the author is telling us that a true researcher seeking is not limited to what you can look up in books or the internet, but it’s also coming to your own conclusion and interpretations on what you find when you seek.
- “Such a task eliminates the writer’s voice from the conversation—as they are not required to participate in the discussion of the subject at hand, but simply to report what others have said about it.” When I think of research I think of information I can use for backing up well formulated opinions or facts. It is so refreshing to hear that in a research paper, you can also have a voice. It makes researching more intriguing and fun to write. It’s not only agreeing with the data but it is also formulating your own opinion. I think this is the point of this passage. To show students a correct and even easier way to write essays or to research for your papers.
- “Nonetheless, this claim becomes the thesis statement of the paper and is to be the foundation of the work that follows. Teaching students the purpose of doing research is supporting an idea or belief one already holds is not teaching students about research.” I feel like in a way, this will eventually lead to more students becoming interested in their work or in English as a whole. It’s not just completing an assignment anymore or writing and researching just to get a good grade.
- “Students need to be taught not to look for answers, but to look for problems that need solving and for questions that need to be answered.” This doesn’t even sound like research, or at least what my teachers have taught me that research is. I’m not sure if “Research” and “seeking” are interchangeable or if they are both used for different purposes. I do believe that the author goes into detail on when you can use either but I’d have to try this out for myself. I worry that my opinions are too dull to be written about as solutions to problems.
Leave a Reply