I believe that you really shouldn't use experience and observations in a research paper. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing that a teacher would say. They just want facts and logic and data. That may be because everything that I have written in a research paper has been something that I do not care about. I remember having to write one about the symbols in to kill a mockingbird. It was the worst 7 pages of my life. I do agree that you should know your thesis before you start. You need to know what you are trying to argue/write about. If you do not have a good thesis, your support will not fit in correctly. I think there is logic in what I say because it's what my high school teachers taught on how to write research papers.
I think that there is a big difference between facts and opinions. On the one hand, you can gather data and answer cumulative questions with facts and opinions are based on thought and have merit to the people who did the thinking and people who agree. Facts have a place in research papers that opinions never will. If I say a statement like the shark is grey, that is a fact. If I say that grey is the best color, then that is an opinion and it's something that can be disagreed with. Facts are types of information that are basically like laws in science. They are proven to be true one hundred percent of the time no matter what. People can have billions of opinions but that doesn't mean that any of them are true or solid information.
Hi, Joel! I hope that our class will continue to build, expand on, and even challenge some of your high school writing experience. While data, facts and logic are very important, don't too quickly dismiss personal experience and observation. Both Andrea and Courtney wrote interesting responses to that same idea but essentially arguing the opposite of your perspective. I'd encourage you to go read their thoughts and see what you think.
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