Real Research

That's right, Wed Nes Day is here. It's snowing again. I'm used to it. And I have a paper due today (which I have already finished and turned in. Definitely because I'm studious and not because I misread the date and thought it was due last week), as well as another essay and a reading response due tomorrow. My essay's almost done, so that's good I guess. I just need to write my conclusion, introduction, and body (but only actually the first of those).

One thing about essays (and research ones in particular) that many people hate is footnotes. I don't exactly understand the hatred, since I really don't mind citing my sources (especially since I am boss when it comes to finding good sources. And no, Wikipedia does not count).

People tend to think
That Google provides all of
The research needed


Really, it's amazing what some people do. The internet is a reputable source, if you know where to go. Wikipedia, blogs, random sites that you've never heard of, and forums do not look good on a paper. However, JSTOR, GoogleBooks, some news sites (I especially like using FOX as a source when my paper topic goes against what they stand for), and various trusty polling sites (if you want to wow people with statistics).

However, perhaps one of the greatest resources does not come from the internet. You see, here at Cornell, we have a little something called a library. In fact, we have a couple dozen of them. It's really not that difficult to walk into one and find a couple of books relevant to your topic. And really, sometimes you can even avoid that with the right essay topic. For instance, when I get to choose an essay topic (as I have emphasized in previous posts), it usually means that I can cite at least one book sitting on the shelf directly in front of me (and in the case of this essay, the book was Freakonomics). In any case, getting a good grade on a research paper means doing research. And doing research means doing work that a twelve year old can't do by typing a word into their search bar.