Part 2a: Researching Your Topics Mentioned In The Project

Part 2a Researching Your Topicas Mentioned In The Project Overview S

Part 2a: Researching your Topic As mentioned in the project overview, scholarly writing demonstrates that the opinion given by a student is supported by information from relevant and credible sources. In an informed opinion paper, the informed aspect is the use of evidence to support your arguments (Oasis Writing Center, 2023). Learning how to identify credible evidence and then incorporate that evidence into your writing is a necessary skill in scholarly writing. Students today have access to information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, on the internet. There are significant benefits to conducting research on the internet, including easy access to current resources, information sharing, and free access to online journals and other resources.

The access we have to this wealth of knowledge also prepares students for the modern workforce (Apuke & Iyendo, 2018). However, not all information on the internet is of equal value. Much of what you encounter on the internet is not credible or scholarly. It is important to evaluate a website before you cite it as evidence supporting your opinion. OCCC’s library provides information and guidelines on how to evaluate a website.

Locate two (2) websites to utilize in your paper (in addition to your textbook). You are looking for articles or informative websites with facts or research that will help you answer your question and support your opinion. You will more than likely need to review several websites before locating a website that will apply to your chosen topic. Review each potential website using the Evaluating Website Checklist until you identify two (2) credible websites to use in your paper.

For each website you will summarize the main idea; identify the facts or research that support or oppose your opinion about the topic; and summarize the relevant information you plan to use in your paper. You will more than likely need to review several websites before locating a website that will be applicable and credible to use in your paper. Plan on spending extra time to complete this assignment.

Paper For Above instruction

The process of researching credible sources is fundamental to scholarly writing, especially when forming an informed opinion on a specific topic. As emphasized by the Oasis Writing Center (2023), scholarly writing is characterized by supporting opinions with evidence from reputable sources. In the digital age, students have unprecedented access to information; however, the quality and credibility of sources vary significantly. This underscores the importance of critically evaluating websites before incorporating them into academic work.

When selecting websites for research, the primary goal is to ensure that the website provides accurate, relevant, and credible information. The first step involves identifying potential websites that align with the research topic. Students are advised to utilize the Evaluating Website Checklist to assess such sources systematically. This checklist considers criteria such as authorship, publication date, accuracy, objectivity, and corroboration with other reputable sources. Only after thorough evaluation should a website be regarded as suitable for supporting an academic argument.

For example, a credible website on public health might be published by a recognized organization like the World Health Organization or a scholarly institution’s official webpage. Such sources offer well-researched data, peer-reviewed articles, or official statistics that bolster one's argument with authoritative evidence. Conversely, sources lacking clear authorship, outdated information, or perceived bias require careful scrutiny or should be excluded altogether.

In practice, students should select at least two websites that meet these standards and are directly relevant to their research question. These sources should be summarized to distill their main ideas, and the supporting facts or research presented should be clearly identified. This preparation enables the integration of evidence into the student’s own writing, thereby reinforcing the credibility of their arguments.

Careful source selection and critical evaluation not only improve the quality of the paper but also develop the student's research skills essential for academic success and professional practice. Allocating additional time for evaluating multiple sources ensures that the final choices are both relevant and reliable, making for a more persuasive and academically rigorous paper.

References

• Apuke, O. D., & Iyendo, T. O. (2018). University students' usage of the internet resources for research and learning: forms of access and perceptions of utility. Heliyon, 4(12), e01052.
• King, L. A. (2023). The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Oasis Writing Center. (2023). Scholarly writing: Overview. Walden University.
• California State University, East Bay. (2018). Evaluating Sources. Retrieved from https://www.csueastbay.edu/library/help/evaluate-sources.html
• Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2023). Evaluating Sources. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/evaluating_sources.html
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries. (2020). How to evaluate sources. Retrieved from https://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/c.php?g=177710&p=1163679
• American Library Association. (2019). Evaluating Information Sources. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/tools/evaluate
• Harvard College Writing Center. (2022). Evaluating sources. Retrieved from https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/evaluating-sources
• National Institutes of Health. (2021). How to evaluate health information. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/health-information/health-information-news/how-evaluate-health-information
• University of California, Berkeley Library. (2020). Evaluating websites. Retrieved from https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/evaluating-websites