Researching your subject

Chapter 6

I have always thought that research is time consuming and more so when we don’t know where to look for information. This chapter pointed me to things that I generally do not consider but that could be useful for certain types of research.  For example, the social-bookmarking sites and even blogs.  These sites are postings of people that share their experiences, pictures or postings about any type of information.  I frequently use Wikipedia to understand subjects from my textbooks because it is straight forward; it gives me pictures and the sources are listed. Interviews are nerve breaking for me, but I think that if I follow the steps explained by the book I will be able to understand and more likely know what types of questions my interviewer is going to ask me. This is turning into a very important tool for me in future interviews.

Most of the papers I have written are usually research or experiments written in an informal format. I took a Microbiology class in which every week there was a different subject to write about. I was supposed to identify the publisher’s reputation, if it was a reliable source, accuracy, knowledge and it had to be within six months of publication. I found a website that provided me with a variety of journals for free. I was also advised that if a journal was not free I could get it through the campus. Journals are difficult to understand and therefore, some simpler researches were followed by scientific experiments which helped me to understand the subject better.

Writing Recommendation Reports

Chapter 19

Most writings have things in common.  For example, an introduction and a body. We sometimes use the persuasive tone, compare and contrast etc. This chapter was interesting and in some way new because there is a lot to take into account when writing a recommendation report. There is research, questions to evaluate and the questions bring a lot more questions that lead to interviews about the product with specialists. A compilation of details have to be looked up in order to decide whether something is useful or not. This is a very detailed research report from the beginning to the end.

Chapter 19 is essentially the hunt for the best product and as it is found it is recommended. Some people like me, for example when going shopping in order to but a product we like that product to cover certain requisites and then we decide if we buy it or not.Whether it is clothes, or anything else we look for things in particular in that product. Grocery shopping for example, I think of my possibilities just as the chapter describes it. I think what stores will give me the best price and value. I do not shop only in one place I usually end up buying tomatoes in one place, bananas in a different place, milk in a different place.  I do this because some stores will give me organic tomatoes for less, but they don’t have organic milk so I have to think what store has organic with a good price. I think about a day and time that I will be passing by that store to pick anything I planned and record it in my mind. I do not make special trips because then I will be spending the extra in gasoline.  I usually write my list including product, price and store and then I give it to my sister, through the phone, and I give her the verbal information and the reasons why she should try my recommendations. My husband usually does the searching on the internet about why organic food is better and then also tries to find what products we can get similar to organic from a non-certified local store or farm.  

Writing Proposals

Chapter 16

While reading this chapter, I started to think about the personal statement that I will need when I transfer to a school of medicine. As advised by the representatives, we are to sell ourselves in the given interview and, I imagine that I will also have to sell myself in my personal statement.  I think I could use the idea of the unsolicited proposal. When analyzing my audience, I know beforehand that the readers will be a Dr. and a faculty member. I know they will want to know if I will be capable of graduating with success.  My purpose will have to be as clear as possible.  For example, why is it that I want to become a …?  I think that after explaining that question,  I could back it up with the experience I have gained throughout my education. In order to persuade the readers, I can describe what I plan to do once I graduate. 

I consider myself a good seller, I used to work in a clothing store for men and women and I used to be very persuasive up to the point that I would feel bad that people would buy what I advised them to purchase even if they did not need it. In writing classes that I took before, I remember writing persuasive papers but I have never had to write a paper as a proposal for any important situation. I think there are similarities in selling a product whether it is delivered verbally or written.  The only inconvenience would be if I am not present at the moment the person is reading the paper, I could lose the chance if something is not clear or complete.