This week we have begun to dive into the topic of the research process. Thinking of the research process brings back memories of reading through books for quotes and staring at my computer screen for hours reading online sources. The research process, one of the most crucial aspects of writing an intellectual piece of writing, is also one of the most tedious. This is where an author chooses what they are going to base their arguments off of. The research process determines how strong of an argument one can build because it is the proof behind what the author is saying. If a piece of writing is published making a claim with nothing backing up the argument, than no one will believe that claim because the writing has no credibility behind it. In my experiences with researching, I have found that there it is extremely important to use research in my writing only if the quality of the source is high. The quality of one’s source is important because having a high quality source can build up the credibility of the author.

When I am researching I often follow a few strategies. I look for information that is focused and descriptive. There is no reason to quote something if it is a summary of a bunch of different information. I could easily look up facts and synthesize them into a large paragraph. It is important to use quotes to better your writing, by adding detail or description that is better provided by someone else’s words. Adding quotes just to add bulk to an essay often distracts the reader from the point the author is trying to argue. While researching, I often use the internet to find sources. Although this is often looked down upon as not “traditional” researching, I find the internet to be extremely helpful. There is an extremely immense amount of content on the internet. No matter what topic you have to research, there is something on the internet about it. And in addition, the internet makes it super easy to verify and check sources. If an article sources something online, you can look up that source as well and verify the information. The internet, if used right, is an extremely useful tool for conducting research. For example, Google Scholar is a extremely efficient way to conduct online research. It searches online for only scholarly articles on whatever topic you search. It is a great way to make sure you are using research that is from a verified source but is also about your topic.