APU Careers & Learning Online Learning

A Tale of Two Papers…

writing-class-onlineBy Helen “Beth” Driver
Faculty Member, School of Arts and Humanities at APU

With apologies to Charles Dickens, I have seen the best of papers, and I have seen the worst of papers. I read essays that exhibited wisdom, and, unfortunately, I read essays that appeared rather uninformed. And then there are the papers I’ve read that reflect a much higher purpose.

The authors of those papers clearly want to expand their knowledge about a topic and develop their critical thinking skills. These authors even want to earn an A grade. These authors knew that research takes time. However, they also knew that the more time they spend researching a topic upfront, the stronger that essay will be. Although many of authors know and are interested in their chosen topic, they don’t solely depend on that knowledge when writing their essays. Instead, they find out what academicians have to say, and they know that the best way to do this is through actively using the APUS library peer-reviewed journals. The best researchers and writers also make use of Search Summon, for this library resource pulls in academic articles throughout the library like a magnet. When these authors get stuck, they take advantage of the APUS librarians and tutoring resources that APU offers through Tutor.com. Some of the best papers are the result of students who closely read peer-reviewed articles, which help to expand and form their arguments.

Essays that do not make the grade are usually the result of the author choosing a well-known and common topic that’s been covered exhaustively by many others. A lack of creativity or in-depth research shows through. Professors or readers want to be amazed and learn something new, but more importantly, the want to see the educational transformation that comes from shining new light on a topic through quality research and thought that’s analytical and unbiased. When authors select common topics, they tend to also write with a clear bias and state their opinions up front. Their opinions are the main focus of their essays, like a personal editorial, which often indicates their research maybe lacking. Merely “Googleing” topics or using Wikipedia for research will result in a substandard research paper. It also diminishes the quality of education–not to mention grade–that the student obtains.

I think Dickens would agree that it is a far, far better thing to read a well-researched essay, than a poorly researched and written paper. As a student–isn’t an essay more satisfactory to write when you have authoritative back-up and ultimately learn something valuable? Of course it is. Yes, research does take some investment up front. In the long run, you will actually save time if you spend time researching your topic.

About the Authors

Helen Beth Driver received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Philosophy from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame and a master’s degree in English from Austin Peay State University. She subsequently taught at various colleges throughout New York, including Saint Thomas Aquinas, Mount Saint Mary, and Cayuga Community College. She teaches courses in writing and literature, ranging from English Composition to Mythology and World Literature. She also has experience working as an English Writing Lab Instructor for developmental and advanced students.

She currently lives in Germany with her husband and two young sons. Her husband is in the Army, so their European living experience has not been limited to Germany.

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