When I normally think about an academic research paper I believe it should sound formal, informative, and knowledgeable. All of the research papers I have ever written have started with a focus on what you are going to "learn" in your research, even though you already know what you are going to write about. Then the rest of the essay uses research to support your claim. The paper usually uses credible information from the internet that only supports your thesis, not challenges it. Almost any topic is appropriate for academic research as long as it interests you. The writer's voice shouldn't be very prevalent in the paper. Facts should definitely outweigh your opinion.
The research paper in "Curious Researcher" is different than any I have ever written. The research paper is about a topic that the writer is interested in. However, it differs from what I am used to seeing in a research paper because the writer is the main focus in the paper and he is telling a story about his life. We usually just write our papers the way our teachers have told us is the "right way". I think we need to get out of the old idea of a paper that we are stuck in and learn to be more open about our "rules" of writing.
Sydney,
ReplyDeleteDon't throw out everything you learned about the thesis-support form. Your teachers taught it's to you because they know it's quite useful in a number of writing situations.But I don't think it typically produces interesting writing. And it does seem important to be able to communicate research in a way that will actually sustain a reader's interest.