ask:
You will write a reflection that is at least 400 words and focuses on two main areas: a) writing a revised statement of research and b) explaining changes in your thinking. Below I’ve provided guiding questions to help you write an effective reflection, but you do not have to answer every question and you should not answer it in bullet form. Instead, choose what main ideas resonate with you, then write paragraphs for those ideas. Include topic sentences (main ideas) and give examples to support your main ideas. Please revisit the resources in the assignment called Week 2 | Writing Reflections (Assignment) for some good tips about why we write reflections and how to organize your reflection.
Make sure you address both part A and part B in your answer:
Part A)
In at least 250 words, consider the research you’ve done and write a revised statement of your research. Specifically, in this section of your reflection, discuss your understanding of your research question that you’ve spent some time researching. For example:
- What were you curious about when you first looked into this topic and why did it interest you? What did you want to investigate? In your opinion, why should people care about this issue?
- Focusing on your research question, look at the conversation as a whole. What background information do readers need in order to follow the conversation you are writing about? What were the things that come up a lot in your sources? What are the various viewpoints in this conversation? On what points do your sources generally agree or disagree?
- What do you now understand about the larger conversation surrounding this question as a result of listening to various voices and perspectives?
Part B)
In at least 150 words explain how your thinking changed:
- First, how did your ideas on your topic shift and change?
- How would you answer your research question at this point? Who might disagree with that answer? How might you address those objections? Is there anything that you would like to learn more about before coming up with your final answer?
- Second, how did your ideas about the research process shift or change?
- Is there anything about the way you conducted your research or the kinds of sources you found that is different from the way you’ve conducted research in the past?
- What research methods that used for this project were particularly effective/ineffective?
- What would you like to try in future?
Here’s how you’ll be graded:
- Do you include a revised statement of research? Does that statement reflect a thorough and thoughtful engagement with the sources you studied? (15%)
- Does the reflection show that you have thought carefully about how the research you’ve done has impacted your research focus and your views on research? (20%)
- Is the writing organized and polished, and does it show evidence of an effective proofreading and editing process? (5%)
