Blog 3
In my fifth week here, I’ve already foreseen the benefits of research. Especially being that I am a psychology major, which leads to lots of research, that I know will benefit me in the long run. Psychology is constantly changing, so I have to make sure my sources are as up to date as possible, relevant, and reliable. Finding the correct information and citing it properly has definitely been something I’ve enjoyed building.
The type of research that interests me the most would have to be behavior studies. I have always been fascinated by how people think, react, and respond in their environments or controlled environments. Research like this often means finding studies directly based on behavior, in my case at least. Working on this assignment has definitely helped me grasp the idea of those needed skills.
Though I have learned a lot more, I know I still struggle in some areas. I think my biggest issue at the moment is probably fully comprehending the whole idea in my sources, while still meshing it all together. Depending on the introduction or abstract, there can be a lot of ideas to try to piece together as one. So at times I do have to put in more time to digest it, to really get to the main point I want to convey. This is something I want to improve on.
However, I do feel more comfortable using research to backup my own ideas. Learning how the evidence can make my points better, though I am still working it out. Identifying primary and secondary sources ca still be a little tricky for me, but it really just depends on the situation.
I probably feel most confident in paraphrasing. Putting the information into my own words and not taking credit is pretty good for me. I think this part is good because it definitely shows my understanding of what I am reading. As a whole, I think I am progressing way more from the beginning, but I know there is definitely room for improvement.
Angel,
It is very intriguing to me that you are majoring in psychology. Research is very important for all majors, but especially for psychology. Behavior studies seems to be a very interesting subject, one that requires a lot of study hours. I am glad that working on this assignment will help aid your research processes and amplify your overall knowledge. I would like to hear more about behavioral studies and how they differ in environments.
If I understand your area of struggle correctly, you have a difficult time simplifying your sources. This is something that requires a lot of work and ultimately everyone struggles with. It takes a while to learn what parts of a source are truly helpful and what parts are necessary. Once you have mastered this skill, you will be content with your research process. There are a lot of ideas within sources that can be deemed once essay if not applicable to your topic, it is very overwhelming at times.
Using research to back up your own ideas is quite literally the best thing you can do to amplify your research. It is extremely difficult to write things from a secondary lens without having some sort of primary source supporting what you are writing. However, if you are going in as a primary source, then you are easily allowed less evidence points. Although you must be credible of sorts.
Paraphrasing is a great way top get your point across while also including factual evidence. Ultimately, I view your progression as celebration and you should feel so as well. There will always be room for improvement, it is just how things are. No one is perfect, it is important to recognize these things so when the time comes you can be better. I really enjoyed reading your blog post and I hope my response offers some sort of advice for you in the future.
Sincerely,
Abby Vance
Hello Angel,
I can relate to your experience of already seeing the benefits of learning how to properly do research. Figuring out how to find credible and relevant sources really does make a big difference. What we learned in this class, or refresher on doing research papers will help us when we have to do research papers throughout our college years.
I’ve also always been interested in Behavior Studies. I worked as a nurse for over 21 years, and when I worked in the Psych Unit and at the state prison, I even thought about going back to school to become a psychiatrist, or Psychologist. I really enjoyed learning about why people behave the way they do, how their minds work, and how to help them through their struggles, or just understanding them. Reading your post makes me see that you already have good insight and an idea of what needs to be included in your research.
As for finding your main point, I think going with your instincts or gut feeling can be a good start. Sometimes that first idea you get really does lead you in the right direction. At least, what have worked for me and what I have been doing.
And with paraphrasing, it’s funny, because I’m the opposite of you. I don’t feel that confident with it yet, and I still worry about accidentally plagiarizing, but hearing how you’re getting better at it motivates me to keep practicing too.
You’re definitely on the right track, and it’s inspiring to read about your progress. There’s definitely a need for people like you in the field. Keep going, you’re doing great!
–Hannah
Hello Angel,
As a psychology major, I understand what you mean when you talk about doing a lot of research already. I agree that it will be useful for whatever career path I choose to take. You mention how you have to keep up to date with your sources due to the constant changing in the APA rules. In my Psychology 101 class, we actually talked about how far back our sources can go. Before I came to Longwood, I was really interested in behavioral psychology for a lot of the same reasons as you. It really is interesting how people’s reactions vary when they are in the exact same environment. Speaking about how you feel about your sources, you can try to piece them together and relate them all to each other through keywords. I learned in my history 221 class that you can look up primary sources and whatever your topic is in google and if it’s from a public record keeper. I also learned that you can use the greenwood library site and find articles and books that are all secondary sources and go from there to write your paper. I hope this helps you if you ever need to write something that requires both primary and secondary sources. I actually feel the same about paraphrasing as you do. Whenever I paraphrase it usually does end up being really long though as I write more to accommodate for all the words I want to say about the topic. It’s amazing that you have self-confidence in your skills and how far you have come since we started this semester to now. While being confident in your skills it is great that you know that there is room for improvement as no one is perfect and mistakes get made.
-Nina