Chapter 1: What is Research and Research Writing?
Writing is a journey—it is seldom a straight line. Writing is thinking. It’s witnessing, observing, and sharing. Writing is powerful—it can change the world by communicating a new discovery or challenging someone’s pre-existing beliefs, and it can also change you.
Write here, write now.
Developing your skills as a writer will make you more successful in ALL of your classes. Knowing how to think critically, organize your ideas, be concise, ask questions, perform research and back up your claims with evidence is key to almost everything you will do at university.
Writing is life
Solid writing skills will help you wow your family and friends with your well-articulated ideas, ace job interviews, build confidence in yourself, and feel part of a community of writers.
Beyond University
Whether you go on to graduate school, teach, work for the government or a non-profit, start your own business or your own heavy metal band, becoming a stronger writer will give you a solid foundation you can keep building on.
This chapter:
- Defines research and gives examples
- Describes the writing process
- Introduces writing using research
- Introduces simple research writing
- Prompts you to think about research and writing meaningful to you
References
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass : Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.
From “Why Writing Matters“. Writing Place: A Scholarly Writing Textbook by Lindsay Cuff. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. 2023.
