According to UNC.edu, writing a conclusion is also a very difficult part of research writing. They say this because the conclusion is  your last chance to get your point across effectively. The conclusion wraps everything up and either convinces your reader that your ideals are accurate and it should hopefully leave your reader thinking in a different way and leaving them wanting for more.

Makes sure to ask the following questions in order to see if the information is valid.

-what credentials does the author possess?

-have you seen the author’s name published in other references?

-does the author belong to any organization that would make him more credible?

-when was the source published?

-is the publication date timely to your topic?

-a scholarly source is one where it has been published by a college or university.

-is the journal scholarly or popularly demanded?

infodome.sdsu.edu:

-is the author reliable?

-does the author have contact information provided?

-look to see if the publisher has published any other material.

-is the publisher scholarly?

-is there a revision date on the information?

-is the information authentic?

-what audience is the information directly to?

Both of these documents are very useful because if you cite information from an unreliable source, it makes your research appear unreliable as well. Most of the questions above are very informative because I never thought to ask myself those questions. I thought that all information found on the internet or any other sources meant that the information was automatically credible. The information that I found is very useful towards making my research credible.

MLA Formatting:

-MLA stands for, Modern Language Association of America. 

-You must identify the source first and then the precise location of the information for the source. 

-Times New Roman size 12pt. font. 

-Double space. 

-One inch margins.

-Running header. 

-numbered pages. 

-Begin every first line of each works cited entry at the left margin. 

ApaStyle.org: APA Formatting:

-Developed to equalize scientific writing. 

       -Used for:

                -Term papers.

                -Research reports. 

                -Empirical studies.

                -Literature reviews.

                -Theoretical articles.

                -Methodological articles.

                -Case studies

-Divided into different sections.

                -title page

                -abstract

                -introduction

                -method

                -results

                -discussion

                -references 

                -appendices 

I think the most effective formatting style for my research paper would be MLA. MLA is more concise and directly correlates to my findings and the tone I will take when completing this paper. I worked with MLA formatting all through high school, therefore, I am very familiar with it. I feel that formatting is necessary because it is a way to structure your sources and without structure to a paper, there would be a mess of information that would be almost impossible to understand. Without sources in a research paper, the paper itself is untrustworthy and insufficient. Formatting gives research papers an effective way of making the writers information clear, organized and concise. 

I went back through my older blogs and fixed any improperly citation in my writing. I put things in parentheses as needed, as well as inserted quotations where necessary. Since I am familiar with MLA, I didn’t come across anything unusual in my previous blogs, therefore, I am not confused on anything specific at the moment.

-reading critically means that the reader must make judgements about what they are reading, as they are reading. 

-make sure you as the reader are not reading strictly for information. 

-make sure to read for purpose and elaborate thinking. 

-stay clear of long lists of evidence. 

1. locate the purpose. 

2. start to make judgements on the material you are reading. 

3. identify the reasoning.

4. examine. 

5. evaluate. 

Vanderbilt.edu–”How to read Academic Texts Critically”:

-always have questions that you want answered before you start to read. 

-begin reading in the middle of the book. 

-use critical thinking as you read the text. 

-take notes. 

Linda Flower–”Writing for an Audience”:

-make the reader feel connected to the writer. 

-have knowledge on your topic. 

-watch out for the correlation between attitude and images. 

-readers do not accept information unless it correlates with their attitude. 

-a writer needs to adapt to the reader.

-the reader is also the teacher. 

UNC.edu–”Audience”: 

How do I identify my  audience and what they want from me?

-who is the audience?

-how many audiences do you have?

-focus on whatever is most important to the audience. 

-what would the audience not care about?

-how can you organize your writing so that it is better for your audience to understand?

-what can you  do to surprise the audience?

2.) Assumptions: 

a.) The child is affected negatively. 

      Question: How is the child affected negatively?

b.) The child is affected positively in some ways.

     Question: How is the child positively affected?

c.) The surrounding family members are also affected in some way.

      Question: In what ways are the surrounding family members also affected?

d.) The family’s surrounding environment is altered. 

     Question: In what ways are the family’s activities and ever day life affected?

e.) The parent with the illness is depressed. 

     Question: Why would the parent with the illness suffer from depression? 

3.) Will add later. 

4.) Throughout my research I will use several methods to ensure that my research is done effectively. These methods include, interviewing other students that I come across who are in the same or similar situations as well as doing research on depression, and my mothers condition, as well as any other applicable information.

5.) Will add later.

From my previous list of five potential research topics, I would choose young adults whose parent is suffering from a debilitating illness as well as the double standard for women in society. I decided to narrow the choice to these two topics because my mother was involved in a horrible car accident in 2005, leaving her with severe problems with her back and neck, as well as being diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder inflicted directly by her accident. Doctors say the she is permanently disabled, making it impossible for her to drive a car or ever work again. This seriously affected my life since I was fifteen, in the sense that I lost the mother that I knew for the majority of my life, and now my mother and I have switched roles. I am not longer the child, but the parent, and she is no longer the parent, but the child who needs assistance all hours of that day. I also chose the double standard for women in society, because I am a Communication Media Major and finding a job in this field is one of the most competitive tasks I will have to endure. Being a female myself, I have experienced many things in my life that have been different for males. 

For a young adult whose parent is suffering from a debilitating illness, I would use a combination of an analytical paper, cause and effect, as well as a definition paper. I would use these genres because I feel like it will be the most effective approach in making my readers feel compassion and have them attentive throughout the whole paper. I would use tasks such as polls of students around campus, as well as try to find other students in my shoes who I will interview and get their perspective on their situation as well as adding my personal story throughout the paper. If I were to choose the double standard for women in society as my topic, I would use an argumentative approach. This will be the most effective approach because I will need to make my readers see my point of view and try to persuade them that my facts are correct. I see myself completing this by taking polls from for sexes, as well as doing extensive research and apply the media into the equation.

2.) Young adults whose parent is suffering from an debilitating illness. 

3.) The Media’s influence on society. 

4.) Double standard for women in society, with emphasis on relationships. 

5.) The methods that parents choose to raise their children and how it affects the child themselves. 

When researching any topic that I decide to chose, I feel as though I could bring new things to the table. I would use hands on methods that would attempt to get inside the people’s minds that I chose to interview or survey. My questions would be unlike any others, in the sense that I will attempt to make every question have the potential of making any person somehow connect personally and have them interested as well. No matter what topic I chose, I will make my research paper an informative one that will allow anyone who reads it to connect to the topic and to feel as though they have learned something new or to feel as though I have broadened their ideas about certain topics. 

If I chose music as my research topic, I would like to know more about the history of music and how the messages in music affect young adults in their every day lives. Music is important because it is a huge part of my life. Being a dancer, I have always felt really connected to music and it has had an overwhelming influence on everything that I do.  My research question would be, “Why does music have such a powerful impact on individuals aging from 18-23?”

If I choose young adults who have a parent with a debilitating parents as my topic, I would like to learn how it affects the children in all aspects of the phrase. This topic is important because my mother has a chronic pain condition and I have been taking care of her since I was fifteen. It affects my everyday life and I would love to see how other young adults cope with such a horrible, life strengthening event. My research question would be, “How could a young adult be affected if they’re parent had a debilitating condition?”

If I chose the affect that media has on society I would hope to learn more about the sometimes devastating affects of the media and why it is that society feels so obligated to conform to what the media has to say. This topic is important because I am planning on getting a job in the media field, therefore, this topic directly pertains to my future career. My research question would be, “Why does society feel so obligated to conform to society?”

If I chose the double standard that lies for women in society with emphasis on relationships, I would hope to gain knowledge on what the opposite sex thinks as well as how it differs from that of women. This is important because I myself am a female and I think this topic affects many individuals just like me and it gives women a bad name. My research question would be, “How are women affected by societies double standard, with emphasis on relationships with the opposite sex”? 

If I were to choose the topic dealing with what parental methods are most effective and why, I would like to get feedback from other young adults whose parents have used different methods of raising their children and how do they think that it affects them. This topic is important to me because I myself have very strict parents, and although I hated them at the time, their method of raising me has affected me in a very positive way. My research question would be, “How do parent’s parenting method affect their young adult children?”