I found the information in this chapter fascinating, as I do not feel or remember being formally introduced to research papers until I was in college at UC Davis. I think that research writing can be extremely fruitful, memorable, and educational if done in a methodical and specific manner, which this chapter helpfully and clearly laid out. First of all, I think that the differentiation between a research paper and a report paper is an important one and one that was never provided for me in primary school. I grew up thinking that a research paper meant going on Google, reading some boring webpages, and then trying my best to summarize what they said without fully plagiarizing. This was a process with which I was fully disengaged. I remember reading articles on History.com and thinking, “Well, this is interesting, but what's the point in just copying it all down?” This is where the differentiation between report writing and research writing plays such a vital role. To merely summarize findings on any given topic not only teaches the student nothing, but gives them no motivation to learn in the first place.
When students are given the opportunity to properly engage in research writing, as defined in this chapter, motivation to learn is baked into the process. The first two steps of the research writing method in this chapter are, first, have students “self-select a topic” and, second, “develop questions” (156). These steps seem like the most vital aspects of allowing students the opportunity to truly learn from the process of writing a research paper. By allowing them to pick their own topic, you are off the bat allowing them and encouraging them to be involved with their own learning, which is far more
likely to result in higher engagement and deeper learning. This increase in engagement and learning is only strengthened by the fact that you are allowing students to choose their own questions about the topic that they have chosen. This allows students to feel that they have stakes in the process. This feeling of having personal stakes in the education of school is so rare and so beautiful when it occurs that the fact that it is possible in the process of writing a research paper makes this assignment an exciting opportunity. With these two steps of the method, students have the ability to research, learn about, and write about topics that interest them and spark their curiosity. Having this basis for their work, they are far more likely to contextualize the information they find in regards to their own lives and experiences, which will inevitably result in greater retainment of information.
Furthermore, this chapter discussed a form of research papers which I had never heard of, or that has never been specifically named when I have—the I-Search paper. I think that this name is already a very productive way to introduce this method of research writing, For one, it has the word “I” in it, which makes it clear that this is different from other academic papers in that people will have the opportunity to insert themselves into their work and play an active role in the research process. Being introduced to the fact that not all academic writing is so passive and disempowering is healthy. An understanding that academic writing is always going to include yourself in one way or another is an important idea for students to remember and one that will allow them to feel that academic writing is not separate from their own thoughts.