This course focused on the importance of research to advancing...

This course focused on the importance of research to advancing knowledge for various purposes. Building on the foundations of composition, you immersed yourself in the research process and the analysis and evaluation of various sources. In addition to gathering and organizing this information, you developed skills in representing it in a way that is useful to other people. You have also learned what you yourself have to offer to the conversation.

For your initial post, consider the research question and thesis statement from your research essay and the strengths of your essay. Develop a persuasive post that responds to the following:

Reflect on your experiences and discuss how this research and investigation was important in advancing your knowledge of this topic? Support your observations with examples from your own experience from the assignments in the course.

In responding to your peers consider your own experiences in this course and discuss how your perspectives on the importance of research are similar and how they differ.

Final DB Posts
Original Post
When I heard that there are only 450 North Atlantic right whales left in the world due to the activities of
humans, I became alarmed. When I found out that I would be doing research and writing an essay for this
course, it was easy to decide on the topic of right whales. The process of researching for the essay taught
me valuable lessons that I will draw on in the future. It is important to select a topic of interest, it takes
some time to actually know what your research question and thesis will be, and it is helpful to write an
outline in advance of the first draft.
Devoting time for thorough research was easy for me because I truly wanted to know the current facts
about right whales. I was hoping to actually help the right whales by sharing my final essay with people
in the marine science community, so I focused on finding complete, accurate, and current information
from scholarly sources. I know that if I had selected a less interesting topic, I would not have been as
invested in the process and it would have diminished the credibility of my argument.
While I was researching, I felt somewhat overwhelmed by all of the information I was finding. I thought
I knew what my research question was, but as I read various articles and points of view, I wondered if I
should change it. I felt like my mind would burst with all the important work that is being done for right
whales, and all the various reasons why they are still headed for extinction. It took some time before I
settled on my research question, and then it took more time again to develop my answer and supporting
arguments. To keep from getting frustrated in the future, I will go into researching with a preliminary
question and a flexible view, and I will let what I find steer me in the right direction.
After completing most of the research for this essay, I still was not quite sure what my arguments would
be. As I developed my numbered outline the thesis revealed itself to me. I was so glad to experience that
because I was never a big fan of planning an essay, with detail, before this course. In addition, including
the citations within the outline allowed me to keep better track of them. In ENG-122, I wrote a less
extensive research paper and was frustrated by losing citations and having to repeat my research. Going
forward, I will keep better track of the information I find, along with corresponding citations, so that I can
include them in the outline as I uncover the elusive thesis statement.
This course helped me to realize that defining a research question, finding information, and developing a
thesis statement is a process that takes some time. It seems so clear now; if one already knows the answer
to a question, there is no point researching! I realized that it is important to keep an open mind while
researching because the information found may reveal something that will change my line of
thought. Most importantly, if I chose a topic that is keenly interesting, it is easier to devote the time to
conducting thorough research that will make my arguments more persuasive. Research is a key factor in
making a message believable to the audience. If the point I want to convey is not credible, there is no
point in making it at all.
Response Posts
Example 1:
Hi NAME,
I am so glad to hear that you gained something valuable from your research. I had a similar feeling with
my paper. I wanted to do something to help right whales and now I plan to share my essay (and the
knowledge I gained) with people who can make a difference. I am confident to do so because I know I