Blog Post 3 – Research

Academic Writing, Engl 165-09 Fall ’25

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As I enter my fifth week of college, I can already see how much I have learned about research and how important these skills will be throughout college. At first, the process felt a bit overwhelming with figuring out where to look, how to know if a source was reliable, and how to cite correctly. After learning to use the library’s website and practicing APA format, I feel more confident and prepared to take on more research assignments in the future.

One of the most valuable things I have learned is how to determine the credibility of a source. Before this class, I usually would just search on Google, but obviously it usually wouldn’t lead to the best or most accurate information. Now I understand how to find peer-reviewed journals, articles, and other sources. This is important because, as someone interested in psychology and working with children, I know that I will need strong and trustworthy research to back up my ideas. I can already imagine using these skills when writing papers on child development or mental health issues.

I’ve also realized that research is more than just finding quotes to insert into a paper. It’s about using evidence to support my own ideas. I feel much more comfortable now combing my voice with the research I’ve gathered, instead of just repeating what other people have said. Learning how to paraphrase  has been a big part of that. I was nervous about accidentally plagiarizing, but after practicing, I’m starting to trust myself a little bit more.

There are still areas where I need to improve though. For example, I can identify basic primary and secondary sources but sometimes I still get confused about which is which when dealing with articles that mix data and analysis. I also want to get better at narrowing my research questions so I’m not wasting time looking through stuff that just isn’t relevant.

 
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Blog 3

Engl 165-09 Fall '24

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Going into week 5, I have definitely learned how to research better. I have been working on my annotated bibliography, as well as a research paper for my history 221 class. The annotated bib has helped me a ton with my other paper, as it has taught me how to use the library website and google scholar to find good sources. Being able to tell if a source is credible or not is huge, as not only do you get better information, but in turn it also gives your paper more credibility because of the authors you are referencing. 

 

As far as citing, learning the APA will benefit me for lots of other subjects, however history papers use the chicago style manual, which I have yet to learn. It was a little tricky at first to figure it out, but honestly practice and repetition is what gets it down. Lucky for me though I live in a time where google is a thing, so even when I’m stuck I can take a quick look at the APA manual and figure it out in a few minutes. 

 

I do think I am still a little lost on the plagiarism side. I am not sure when I need to cite the whole source in text, instead of just in the bibliography. I also don’t know when to use paraphrasing vs direct quotes. I think that this is a skill I will develop over time so I am not too worried about it. 

 

Overall I think that I am way more comfortable being organized. I am able to sort my sources by topic, keep track of their links, DOI’s, and utilize apps like Mendeley to store them. This has really helped me stay on track and not drown in hundreds of pages of information. Learning how to skim through and read key parts of my sources has also been super helpful. For example, reading the abstract, then chapters or headings, then conclusion. I still have tons of room to grow, but I am much more confident now than I thought I would be 5 weeks in.

Sometimes you just have to get thrown in the deep end and figure it out.

 
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