1. “In this model, there is no room for doubt or ambiguity. We assume we need to know the answers to our problems or questions before the process gets underway, before we consult and evaluate what others have said.” I find this statement to be very true, as humans we feel the need to know every little thing about everything. So, when problems emerge in our lives, instinctively we want to solve those problems right away and find the answers. We hope to find the answer before fully experiencing the life lessons that we must endure before finding those answers. This defeats the whole purpose of life lessons.
  2. “A Writing Process, author Vinetta Bell suggests that the thesis-writing process begins during the “preliminary research” stage. This strategy is endorsed by multiple research library websites, such as the University of Minnesota. And yet, genuine inquiry—the kind of research that often leads to new ideas and important choices—tends to begin with unsettled problems and questions, rather than with thesis statements and predetermined answers.” A thesis should not be a statement with a predetermined answer but an open-ended question that asks difficult questions that challenge your perspective as much as others. Having a thesis with predetermined answers defeats the point of research. Research is not to prove one’s ideas or perspectives right or wrong but rather to expose you to different perspectives that make you reevaluate your position on the specific topic you are researching.
  3. “They write that research often begins with open-ended questions that are “based on information gaps or reexamination of existing, possibly conflicting, information.” In other words, research isn’t just for backing up our hunches. It can, and should, also be used as a method of investigating areas of uncertainty, curiosity, conflict, and multiple perspectives.” This quote proves what I was saying in my previous annotation. As I said before research is supposed to be about exposing yourself to different perspectives that make you reexamine your perspective. Investigating your curiosity without any bias is the ideal way to go about conducting research.
  4. “Clark College’s library website describes the research process as a daisy, rather than a line. Like a daisy’s petals, research is described as cyclical and fluid. As we research, we may find ourselves returning to and changing our question, or we may near the end of a project and think we’re done but discover we need to go back to find more or better sources. The messiness of research requires us to be flexible, often modifying our approaches along the way. When we enter the research process with a narrow and rigid focus on our thesis, we can become discouraged and inclined to abandon our ideas when the research process does not unfold neatly.” Successful research should start with an open-ended question that doesn’t have a predetermined answer. This creates room for the researcher to change their thesis so their research progresses. Research is not a question-and-answer game but rather a series of changes that unravels a new and inclusive perspective. When researching one might find themselves continuously changing their thesis to fit their new perspective. However, having to constantly change one’s thesis and starting over can be very discouraging and one might be eager to quit and abandon their idea.
  5. “Although our culture would tell us that we have to know everything, and that we should even begin a research project by knowing the answer to our question, there is obvious value in using research as a tool to engage our curiosity and sense of wonder as human beings—perhaps even to improve our lives or the lives of others. If all researchers started the process with preconceived answers, no new findings would ever come to be. In order to truly learn about a topic or issue, especially when it involves important decision making, we need to learn to embrace uncertainty and feel comfortable knowing we might not always have an answer when we begin a research project.” Embracing the fact that we don’t know everything there is to know about the world is the only way to truly learn about a topic or issue. As we begin to accept uncertainty, the more room there is for questions and curiosity to be explored without any bias.