RJA #15: Reflection

I have learned a great deal in this class to be honest. I think most importantly is how to do proper research and where exactly to look for pertinent information for a topic. Internet research has become a huge part of basic research done today and therefore can become overwhelming in its own right, due to the enormity of data out there. It helps to know which databases exist and for what purpose, be it scholarly, a wiki, news sites and published material, including books and journals. It's amazing the breadth of information is out there, but it's also a student beware situation though because not all sources are reliable or accurate.

In terms of writing a paper it takes a huge effort to organize all the data into an understandable and coherent thought process. Pulling information from various sources and tying them all together is one of the hardest parts in all. As always these days it is also mandatory to cite and give credit where credit is due and to know the difference between common knowledge and not common. Also knowing how to trim a paper down in scope of the topic is very tricky from what I have encountered. I really enjoyed this class and learning more on a subject I would not have otherwise gone out and done research like I did on was really fun. Overall I found this class mind opening and useful in the sense I will obviously be using these skills in the future abundantly.

Write at least one paragraph about what you learned in this class this semester–about your topic as well as about the research and writing processes–and how you will be able to use it in future classes and your professional and personal life.