Research Reflection

English 121

Research Reflection

 

            As I look back at my semester of English, I see a lot of goals, surprises and other sorts of information that I have achieved and wanted to express. The biggest school I had walking into English was finishing the semester with an A. I wanted to learn how to write less casually. In my former English classes that seemed to be my only drawback. Writing casually was the only thing standing between me and getting an A in English. I can honestly tell you, that I have somewhat achieved this goal. I still write casually, but now I know how to use certain words and know when to use them. I honestly still need to work on writing less casually. I have been told several times that when people read my writing, they feel as if I am talking to them. It is just one of the many things I still need to work on. I found a lot of surprises when I was researching my topic on vinyl records. I have discovered a want of crazy cool information. I did not know that record sales have increased by 25% the last five years. I did not know that records are indeed making a strong comeback. I always assumed that I was the only teenager that liked vinyl records. The best parts of my paper are my body paragraphs. I have never been able to give so much information. I found some great sources from the databases we were assigned to use. Not getting very much information was also one of my drawbacks from my old English classes in high school. So having these new sources seemed to be a blessing to me. I would have to say that I am most proud of my bibliography. My works cited page. I can predict that my professor will enjoy my body paragraphs the most. I feel that I have gotten a lot better on my computer skills. I feel like I know now what is more credible than other things. I know how to navigate databases a lot more efficiently. The thing I enjoyed the most about the research process was being able to learn about something that I love. I enjoyed researching. The only thing I didn’t like was having to write the paper. But I can tell you that it was pretty simple for me. I was able to write down information because I had great credible sources. I found exactly what I needed. I didn’t spend a lot of time the week on researching because I found the sources that I wanted right off the bat. The only way I can make some adjustments to my paper would be the grammatical errors. I found some helpful research hints and it would be to only use databases. The reason I say this is because the databases give you citations. You don’t have to spend 20 minutes trying to write a citation from one website. These databases are very credible and the citations are also there for you. This will help make your research a lot quicker. It would also help with the works cited page as well.

Rubric Criterion

 

Topic development:

 I feel that after writing my essay that I would receive an A in this category.  My ideas that I choose are fully explored with detail, depth and complexity.  I really go into depth and try to explain the best I can with my ideas.  This is for my research essay and it meets page requirements. 

 

Style: 

This is something that I have always had a problem with.  I have a tendency to write very casually.  It has been this way ever since the sixth grade.  I have problems with several areas so I would give myself a C.  I wish I was able to write more scholarly and less like I’m talking to the reader. 

 

Works Cited page/ MLA manuscript format: 

This is something that I feel very confident on.  I have never been able to really do a good job on works cited pages but this time I would give myself an A.  I really have minor flaws if any on it.  I used very good sources in this essay.  I used the citations that were given to me and so I feel confident that they will work correctly.

-Preston Allen

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Research Essay Blog

 

 

 

 

Improvements made to my essay by myself:

1.      I worked on the punctuation problem in my essay.  I used commas way too often and need to slow down my writing in other ways. 

2.      I worked on a ton of grammar problems.  I found a ton in the essay.  There were just words that did not make sense with my writing.  This has hopefully been permanently fixed in the essay. 

3.      I worked on writing less casually.  I have always written like this and it is just a hard thing for me to correct, but hopefully it will sound much less casual. 

 

Improvements made to my essay by peer reviewed essay:

1.      Connor told me to first work on my small details to support my freaking point. 

2.      He told me to use more scientific evidence to add to me debate.

3.      He told me to work on my casual writing style which was funny due to the fact that that was one of the things I choose to work on from the beginning. 

-Preston Allen

 

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Chapter 17 Reading Response

 

Reading Response

Chapter 17

            For chapter 17, I learned about integrating sources and avoiding plagiarism. Now to me, I see a common theme throughout this whole last two chapters in it’s about using MLA format. For some reason I hate MLA format. I think the world be a better place if bibliographies didn’t exist. I find giving credit to the authors is an important aspect of writing but I’m just lazy and hate writing MLA works cited pages. I learned about paraphrasing which is something that I do quite often since I can never figure out what to write besides what the author writes. I seem to have the same problem where when I read the author’s writing I simply want to copy and paste what he or she may have said. So paraphrasing and learning how to use it is something that I will use for the rest of my life. I also learned about summarizing which is a little different than paraphrasing but it’s somewhat the same as well. Summarizing involves a brief restatement in my own words in a passage for the main idea. I also learned about quoting, and when you quote you need to use the writer’s exact words as they appear in the source including all punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. And the quote has to be enclosed by quotation marks. I learned what synthesizing was. When I write a synthesis was supposed to combine paraphrases, summaries, and quotations with my own ideas. That was something I did not know before. I also learned how to avoid plagiarism which is something that I’ve never had to actually deal with that now I know just a little bit more on how to avoid it. Overall this chapter was a good read and I did learn a lot but I am tired of writing MLA works cited pages.

            Now being a student in college I have to give a educated response on how this chapter affects my student life. Academically this was a good chapter to read because it did teach me a lot I really hadn’t known before and also refresh my memory on quite a few things. This chapter in this book is very handy for a person who wants to be able to write a solid good works cited page and learn how to avoid plagiarism. I believe that summarizing and paraphrasing things from the author is something that is a necessity for the student to achieve. It helps the student look simply smarter in than they actually could be. I think that high school students should be using this book and taught early on how to stay away from plagiarism because it is a serious problem that society faces today. A fun story I have is when I was a junior in high school, my principal who is no longer the principle of meet high school was accused of plagiarizing a graduation speech. It was true that he actually plagiarize the speech and spoke the exact same words the original speaker at spoke. I think it’s funny that he was the one to do this due to the fact that he was a doctor. Plagiarizing is something that is a big problem in our culture and this book helps a lot by explaining what plagiarizing is and how you can avoid it.

-Preston Allen

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Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Ethos, Pathos Logos

 

Ethos: This is the ethical part of argumentation.  It is the credibility if the author and or speaker.  It is often conveyed by differing the views. 

SB 1:  Listening to vinyl records is a better way to listen to any form of musical media, due to the fact that collectors listen to them. 

SB 2:  I have listened to records all my life and that is the way I prefer to listen to music. 

SB 3: I collect records and know the value of them. 

 

Pathos: This is the emotional part of argumentation.  It is a way to persuade the reader or audience by affecting their emotions.  It’s a complete emotional appeal. 

SB 1: Listing to records in the olden days was a form of social gatherings. 

SB 2: Listening to records is a much more intimate way to listen to music because of how the person listening to them has to be so much more involved. 

SB 3: It can send you to a different time, and help create a new outlook on listening to music.     

 

Logos: This is the part of reasoning in an argument.  This is where logic comes into play with persuading.  It’s the logical things to understand. 

SB 1: Records have more value than any other form of media.

SB 2: Records and record players come in all shapes and sizes.

SB 3: Records are warmer sounding due to the friction that the needle makes with the record while it is spinning. 

 

-Preston Allen

 

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Chapter 16 Reading Response

 

 

 

Preston Allen

Chapter 16 Reading Review

English 121

                Chapter 16 was about finding and evaluating sources. I really like this chapter because it taught me a lot. It showed me that there was a difference in types of research. Research like magazines, newspapers, journals, and books and even electronic databases. Now I knew these were always to research something but for some reason that didn’t really hit me that they were that different from each other. I think the best way to get information is from databases due to the fact they give you a citation at the very end of each article. I’m very lazy person and I really like this fact. This chapter gave me a lot of exercises to do and I actually did some in my brain. It taught me how to properly enter a URL and what URL means. I did not know what URL meant but now I know it means uniform resource locator. I learned more about keyword searches and how to properly write them out and learn new strategic ways to analyze what I really want to search. I learned what a subject search was and it helped me quite a bit. I wish I was taught more of this in high school because when I’m learning more from a textbook I did in all my high school career I think that there is a flaw in the public schooling system at that point. I never knew about evaluating sources I mean I knew how to tell if a site was credible or not but never really knew how to evaluate one until now. I learned more about biases and can actually connect that to mass media today. It wasn’t a very long chapter but it really helped me out a lot.

            So being a student in college I have to give an educated response. I believe that this chapter is excellent for anyone who is trying to learn how to research something. It has timely a lot of new things that I haven’t learned before. I think this is a great learning tool and I believe that this book is really a great guide for doing almost anything you want to do in writing. It helped me discover if resources comprehensive, the sources current, if the source is objective, if the source is accurate, and if the source is authoritative. It simply helped me learn (which is all you could ask for in a class, same goes for a lesson).  I believe that this book should be a must-read for anyone who is trying to learn how to write well. It is definitely helping me quite a bit.

 

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A Brief Film About Adjectives

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Preston Prospectus

1. Thesis:

Vinyl records are the right choice for listing to any type of music.

2. Reflection:

The reason that this matters to me so much and why it would make a difference to me if I were able to demonstrate the validity of my argument is because this is something that very much interests me and it’s something that I am really passionate about. Writing a paper on this subject would really help me describe what I really feel about the differences in sound. It could help show that there really is a difference in the sounds and intimacy. It will also help draw a light on people who also believe this to be true as well as me. This is something that I want to talk about and bring people to know what I mean. This could really help people want to start listening to records like I do and get them more influenced that vinyl is the way to go.

3. What I know and don’t know:

I know a ton about this topic and really could persuade somebody to go out and by a record player and start listening to records. I know that right off the bat that when you listen to a record and a record player that you are going to be hit with a complealty different sound. The sound is going to be warmer due to the friction that the record needle and the record make while the record is in motion. I know that there are many differ4nt types of records and they all have different sounds. I also know that records are worth much more than any other form of tangible music. I want to learn about why other people think that records are the way to go and how they feel. I want to know how records originated, and when. I want to know how CDs work and how much music they can hold. I want to know why people don’t use records as much as they use CDs and other forms of music.

4. Questions:

Why dis records die off? Why do people still listen to them? Why don’t people listen to them? What makes them more valuable than other forms of music? Why are there so many types of records? Why do records sound different?

5. List of possible interview:

People that prefer records over other forms of music. Record store owners and employees. Record collectors.

6. Works cited

Worsley, Rodger. "Why 78, 45 and 33 1/3 Record Formats?" Why 78, 45 and 33 1/3 Record Formats?Haverfordwest, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2015

The Record Collectors Guide, About Vinyl Records, 10/10/15, "web", n.d. http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=44&page=1

Vinyl Record Fair, Introduction to Vinyl Records, 10/10/15, "web", n.d. http://www.vinylrecordfair.com/introduction-vinyl-records/

N.P.R. Why Vinyl Sounds Better Than CD, Or Not, 10/13/15, "web", 2/10/12, http://www.npr.org/2012/02/10/146697658/why-vinyl-sounds-better-than-cd-or-not
The Orgainian, Does Vinyl Really Sound Better Than a CD? 10/13/15, "web",

Preston Research

Research idea: The 33 ½ (LP), 78, and 45 record.

(LP): Long Play

 

Link List:

1.      http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=44&page=1

2.      http://www.history-of-rock.com/record_formats.htm

3.      http://www.vinylrecordfair.com/introduction-vinyl-records/

 

My Impressions (link 2):

My first impressions of the website was that it was very simple and easy to understand.  It has a lot of great information on it but it may not be very creditable. The topic that I choose is not something that is talked about very often so it was hard to find a good website to accommodate my needs.  It was also very hard to find a good website that listed all three types of records that I want to research.  This one included them all.  The type of information that is on the website is the stuff I want to address. The information is about the size, the rpm’s, the pros and cons, and how each one has stood the test of time. Judging by the URL, the data/information does look creditable.  The only way that I see it not being creditable is by the way it is presented to the reader. There are not very many pictures, in fact there is only one.  There is also not any sponsorship with it.  There is also no links. All the information they give you is there and only there.  There is also no references to this website.  This is all the information I want to talk about but I am not sure whether I can trust it or not. 

 

Gather Information:

The site does state who the author is at the very end of the article.  There is no sponsor.  The only way to find out if the author is an export on the subject would be to look up a biography on him.  Meaning something to tell me why he is an expert on the subject.  From the website that I have been previewing, there is no background information on the author.  The information on the page/site is appropriate material for the purpose of the page.  The information is almost summarized in the title of the site.  The purpose of the site is to inform the reader the main three types of records.  The 33 1/2 (LP), 78, and, 45 records.  This type of information is not biased.  He does not state which one is better.  He does not give a personal opinion.  The site is not backed by advertising which makes it hard to believe that it is creditable.  It does not provide or describe academic research due to the fact that it does not have any references to the information.  The information also cannot be verified in other sources since there are no other sources that are stated.  Due to how old the website looks, I don’t believe that it has been updated very recently.  Once again it does not list any links on the website.  The information is also not elaborated enough on.  The author could have gone way more in depth.  The material is appropriate for the printed publication. 

Quotable Passage:  “The 33, a.k.a. the "LP" (Long Playing record) or "album", pictured above at left, was invented in 1948. These LPs were popular until around 1990 when CDs were popular enough to take over. An LP could hold up to a total of 60 minutes of music, but most didn't have more than 40 minutes. They are made of vinyl plastic rather than shellac, so they are more flexible and don't tend to break like 78s. The grooves are 4 times smaller, so they were originally called "Microgrooves" (MG), and early LPs have this written on the label.” (Worsley)


Embedded: 

The 33 record. also known as the LP has been around for a very long time. . record has stood test of time for the time that it has remained popular.“The 33, a.k.a. the "LP" (Long Playing record) or "album", pictured above at left, was invented in 1948. These LPs were popular until around 1990 when CDs were popular enough to take over. An LP could hold up to a total of 60 minutes of music, but most didn't have more than 40 minutes. They are made of vinyl plastic rather than shellac, so they are more flexible and don't tend to break like 78s. The grooves are 4 times smaller, so they were originally called "Microgrooves" (MG), and early LPs have this written on the label.” (Worsley)

MLA citation: 

Rodger Worsley, Why 78, 45 and 33 1/3 record formats?, 10/10/15, "web", na, http://www.history-of-rock.com/record_formats.htm


Part Two:


Since the topic of my choosing was unable to be found on a database I will have to review another website that I have in my list.  I will go ahead and use website number one.  This website was very informative and made me really interested in what it had to say.  It gave some great history and gave me a lot of specs. about each record ever made.  It mostly talked about the three most used record the ones that are stated at the top.  It did seem to have a somewhat biased feeling to it though and I did not like that very much.  It was very education l and the writing was very informative and easy for me to understand.  It did seem to be more recent then the other site due to how it was organized very well.  It also comes from a group called the Record Collectors Guide

The Record Collectors Guide, About Vinyl Records, 10/10/15, "web", na, http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=44&page=1

Chapter 14 Reading Response

         

            Chapter 14 was about a process of reasoning called argumentation. A lot in this chapter stuck out to me. I learned quite a bit. Argumentation is the appeal to reason. That's simply what it. If that doesn't make sense to you, what it basically means is this. Argumentation is simply an argument that a writer or anybody else can ask a series of statements so that they logically lead to a conclusion. Now I found out that there were quite a bit of differences between persuasion and argumentation. Persuasion is basically a way to make somebody else or the reader believe what you believe. It's a general term that is used to convey adoption on an idea. I found that to be very interesting! I also found that the thesis was quite interesting to me as well. I found out that once you find out what you're going to argue about you do need to find a thesis that that thesis needs to be debatable. I felt like that was something new to me. So let that I guess I'm learning something after all. This whole farm of essay writing really excites me. The past few years I've really gotten the politics and debating is a key term used in politics. I'm a very excited to write an essay on what I plan to choose on which will probably be on politics. Nothing really has made me go berserk yet in this chapter but I'm sure something will take me off soon enough in the week. But for the most part I seem to really agree with everything the author says and don't really have any smart aleck comments to make. I feel that the evidence I give should be supported and should be credible. I don't think that it's just come off the top of your head. I feel like I do kind of have to analyze the audience I'm going to be writing to, I have to know what they think and what their pre-conceived notions are about the topic of choosing. I think that is very important to do that. To go on a quick rants, this is kind of what were doing in public speaking. I have to analyze my audience and make sure that what I say goes the way I want it to. I can kind of see a connection between English composition and now public speaking. I really wish that we could have done more riding in my high school years on this form of writing. So once again I'm really excited to get started.

           Now being a student I do have to give a  educated and more student like response to this chapter.  I think that the most important part of this chapter  really is the parts on  analyzing your audience, the kinds of evidence you use, the criteria for evidence,  the documentation of evidence, and dealing with the opposition. These are all key parts into writing  a good essay using the form of argumentation. Without these key components, the essay may not be as strong  as you'd want to be.  I think that the most important would be dealing with the opposition.  I believe that's you have to  go into writing an essay expecting to be criticized for what you believe.  I feel that you have to expect to be criticized for what you are writing about and what you are going to be arguing.  I think having the ability to deal with the opposition is a  key aspect to writing a solid argumentation essay. I do feel that the thesis  aspect of writing and argumentation essay was not quite elaborated enough on.  I have never quite been able to grasp the whole concept of writing a good thesis and  honestly have never been very good at writing one either. I wish that  they would have talked a little bit more about writing a good solid thesis for argumentation essay.  But other than that, I really did enjoy this chapter and am very excited to begin my  argumentation essay that I'm sure will be due in the next upcoming weeks.




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