It’s Research Paper Time!

By: Abby Caudill

At this very moment, students in the junior class are deep into the construction of their
own research paper. This research paper is just one of the many requirements for Culver
Community high schoolers to complete, in order to graduate on time.

“There are several English language arts standards that the state of Indiana
requires–extensive research is one of them,” said high school English teacher, Mrs. Fobert.
“Fitting the research paper into the junior curriculum is logical. At this point of a Culver students’
education, they have the fundamental writing skills needed with the extra guidance of their
teacher.”

Two of these important skills include critical thinking and creative writing. Both of these
skills are a necessity to know for a student’s entire life which is why CCMHS makes sure every
student completes a research paper before graduating.

“Students need to learn the skill on how to research answers, solutions, or possibilities.
In addition, the skill of gathering information and creating a product, with correct citations, is
essential for future needs,” said CCMHS principal, Mr. Berndt. “We understand that not
everyone will go on to secondary education or possibly may not write a paper again after
graduation. However, knowing the process of researching is a skill that everyone uses in some
format daily.”

Research papers can be very tedious if students don’t break it down into smaller steps.
Without a breakdown, a student’s stress can increase while trying to keep track of their
progress. Having a thesis, note and source cards, an outline, and a work cited page will help
those who are making a research paper for the first time, but Mrs. Fobert and Mrs. Stacy help
students make sense of it.

“I do think doing the research paper expands my knowledge. This is because
beforehand I didn’t know anything about writing a research essay until now,” said junior Koral
Rodgers. “Without my teacher, I probably would be plagiarizing and not even know it.”

Students also have to understand that a reliable source is vital to a research paper. Any
source can be in full detail, however, if the source isn’t reliable then a student may be using
inaccurate information.

“When writing a research paper, reliable sources give you the correct information.
However, if you use unreliable sources, you are at risk of not having the correct information,”
said junior Genna Sherman.

Since a research paper is so extensive, organization is key when trying to include more
data, and in the end, the paper will have plenty of information for you to use for its assembly.

“For me personally, when it comes to writing anything that requires you to do research,
it’s a good idea to have a well-organized way to find your information,” said junior Willow
Harrington.

Some schools allow students to pick a school appropriate topic to expand their
knowledge based on their interests, but other schools’ assign the topic to a specific classroom.

“My choice would have been something to do with athletes and mental health because I
think it would be cool to find out more about this topic,” said junior Shelby Olivarez.