Blog Entry #16
1) What assignment/document was most useful to you during this process?
I feel that the annotated bibliography assignment was most useful to me during the entire process. This assignment forced me to find at least 10 valid and reliable sources. We were assigned this assignment early on, therefor, it allowed me to see what sources were available and also the strength of these sources. After completing this assignment, I realized that my topic was worthy of further research.
2) What was the most helpful feedback you received at any stage – why was it helpful?
The most useful feedback that I received was from the first two peer review projects. Both Leslie and Dan pointed out mistakes in my paper. Some of the mistakes included: grammar/mechanics, amount of sources, in-text citation, etc. I feel that this assignment gave me a chance to see what I did wrong and allowed me time to correct these errors. There was also positive feedback. Leslie and Dan pointed out the strengths of my paper. This gave me assurance that I could write a high quality research paper. Without the assurance, I would have had much more doubt on the quality of my work, hence, creating much more stress throughout the remainder of the semester.
3) What was most difficult for you during the drafting process? Easiest? WHY?
The most difficult aspect of the drafting process was my results section. I feel that it is weaker than the rest of my paper due to the quality of responses from my participants. It was very difficult to make a conclusion. However, I do not feel that this lower the importance of my paper because it offers issues for further research. I feel that this could help the more qualified researchers.
I feel the easiest aspect of the drafting process was combining all of the sections into one paper. I originally based my formatting on previously published articles. I used the different headings to separate my sections. I just had to put them together and make the paper flow better.
4) Where does your final essay best show your ability as a writer?
This is a hard question to answer. I feel that if I had to pinpoint a specific area of my paper that shows my ability as a writer would be my introduction section. The feedback from the peer reviews shows that the evaluators felt that I had successfully written this section. I feel that I clearly introduce my topic to the reader and summarize what the rest of the paper will consist of. I also make my feelings on this topic very clear and stress the importance of the topic.
