Research Papers

What has been your experience with research papers in the past? What did you like and dislike about doing them?

While research papers have long been the bane of many students' existence, I have always breathed a sigh of relief when one is assigned.  The typical rigidity and regulation required of a research paper makes them seem cumbersome and unpleasant.  I, however, revel in the structure and the potential of finding and sharing new information.  

As an avid fact and information finder and collector (did you know penguins can jump six feet in the air, bald eagles are no longer an extinct species, and doing a power stance at least once a day for two minutes increases your feelings of power and confidence), being able to delve deeper into a topic and find unique information and make more connections is exciting.  Previously, I have written a paper on the evolution and effect of subliminal messaging in advertisements over the years.  The process of researching and finding more information was enthralling and enriching.  I found bits of information and nuances of cultural shifts that I have continually been able to apply--these things I would not have known if I had not picked and researched this topic.

I do recognize the difficulty found in narrowing down a topic without getting impossibly specific and formulating the perfect thesis.  But those factors add to the challenge and the eventual feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction once they have been mastered.  This is not to oversimplify the task of specifying a topic or crafting a thesis that is elaborate and clear.