The “bad idea” I chose was “The Traditional Research Paper is Best” by Alexandria Lockett. From my first read, I didn’t completely understand the argument proposed by the author. However, going back, it became more clear to me why the author decided to begin the argument by contrasting the “modern” way of writing research papers to the “traditional”. The new and improved research paper does not oblige the student to go through the hassle of commuting to the library, searching for adequate sources, finding and investigating and repeating these steps all over again. Instead, at our fingertips are millions of sources for about any topic you search for on the internet. Yet, that is exactly the problem. The author refers to this abundance of information as a “data deluge.” Is the negative connotation in this term implying something bigger? I believe so. Lockett transitions into a body paragraph saying the word “unfortunately” followed by an explanation of the modern research paper downfalls. One example of such: “Instructors may underestimate the nuances of popular databases and overestimate students’ frequent use of databases as competency. However, Internet research really is a lot of work.” Therefore, one big dilemma is that, rather than approaching the traditional methods of research paper writing, instructors demand a greater number of sources to students that must navigate the “data deluge” of the internet to write their paper. Additionally, students will likely be much more disposed toward plagiarism, since “most people cannot handle the chore of deciphering the data deluge.” As if that weren’t enough, media owning companies’ “data collection practices and [the[ design of these companies’ websites direct users’ attention, which affects their research skills.”
Lockett, however, does not conclude here. The essay continues by entering the “research 2.0” topic. Internet research for a research paper can be used in a more effective way. The instructors must make part of the change, which has a lot to do with attitude. For example, changing the narrow views of Wikipedia and Wikipedia’s use when searching for sources and perspective. Even online writing groups are possible, which are very encouraging to writers. Lockett now concludes: “[…] few educational institutions and disciplines are cultivating the technical, scientific, and artistic competencies necessary for editing, navigating, and managing the Internet’s infinite retrieval mechanisms. When students are taught how to recognize that they have the power to diversify Internet content with high-quality research, the research paper 2.0 could play a major role in balancing the dynamics of knowledge production between traditional
institutions and emerging media.” In other words, the way we approach the “modern” research paper will greatly influence the result and quality of the final paper.
I chose this piece because I’ve had to do research papers in the past, and I was curious to see the author’s point of view on this topic. I agreed 100% with the term “data deluge.” Sometimes, it feels like your drowning in information, but it’s as if your own paper will be one more in the millions of results, so how great can your writing really be. However, the approach suggested by the author, and the change of attitude by students and instructors as well, may very much improve future research papers.
