Witte’s chapter “Research Starts with Answers” in Bad Ideas About Writing provides information about writing appropriate papers. As such, the research paper has become a rite of passage in which students select a topic and offer a claim. Namely, the nature of research is active: the researcher, whether a student, academic, or professional, actively seeks. The historical context described by the author supposes that the primary way of performing governmental and legal operations was an argument. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the 18th century, the oral debate cornerstone university curricula. As a result, students are instructed by their textbooks and professors to claim backed by reasons at an early stage of building their argument.
Hence, research is not just about seeking information; it is about developing and discovering new knowledge in response to difficulties. Moreover, primary research allows pupils to interact with the people around them. Secondary research is an important aspect of the study process that generally comes before any main inquiry. Thus, students conducting primary research must also create their own instruments to achieve their specific aims. The requirement for such adaptation relieves pupils of the notion that there is a method to receive the answers they require.
The chapter elucidates concerning the origins of the requirements for research and the meaning behind them. The author uses exemplar academic language and detailed illustrations of the various aspects of scientific inquiry. Furthermore, the text conveys the meaning of the search as the students should employ it, and I agree that it is crucial to understand the value of this method.
To conclude, the chapter explores fundamental concepts of scientific principles and their relevance for the research. Moreover, it explains the method’s origins and illustrates why search for answers and argumentation are essential. It demonstrates with appropriate and exemplar language the nature of the research as it should be presented to students. I believe that the text conveys valuable ideas and enlightens not only the students but also professors and researchers.
Work Cited
Witte, Alison C. “Research Starts with Answers.” Bad Ideas About Writing, edited by Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe, West Virginia University, 2017, pp. 226–30.