Chapter 4 - Curious Researcher

I’m so sorry this post is so late. With no internet in your class and two classes after your class every day, posting my blog always slips my mind. So I don’t have a first draft at this point. I have notes and some research, but no draft. Although, when I do write my first draft, I think something in chapter 4 that will help me is figure 4.3 and 4.5. They were both layouts of how my paper might flow. I think it gives me a broad way of keeping me on track and a couple different ideas to use for each paragraph. The part about using interviews will not be useful to me since I am not doing any interviews.

Quickwrite on Ballenger’s chapter 4

How did this chapter help you write your first draft?
This chapter helped me with my first draft by showing how procrastination can truly hinder your paper. It explained how if you wait to the last minute and an approaching deadline fires you up and really gets you focused it is still not going to give you the best outcome with your paper. The next thing was having an outline to base your paper off of. Once you begin to write you want to make sure that you also have common ground with your reader/ audience because then it makes for an easier read as well as more interesting for them. Lastly this chapter helped me with blending my sources. This is a very important aspect because if you do not blend your paper it will become very choppy and hard for your audience to follow.
What is one writing tip/strategy that you will not use from this chapter?
One writing tip that I will and did not use for writing my first draft was to start at the beginning. The main reason I did not use this strategy was because I am one who when they first start to write usually gets a writer’s block while writing the introduction. So instead for this paper I wrote it in chunks and then blended it together, starting with what I knew I wanted to write about and then working towards what I did not. I found this most helpful because it gave me a basis to work off of.

Quickwrite on Ballenger’s chapter 4

How did this chapter help you write your first draft?

This chapter helped me with my first draft by showing how procrastination can truly hinder your paper. It explained how if you wait to the last minute and an approaching deadline fires you up and really gets you focused it is still not going to give you the best outcome with your paper. The next thing was having an outline to base your paper off of. Once you begin to write you want to make sure that you also have common ground with your reader/ audience because then it makes for an easier read as well as more interesting for them. Lastly this chapter helped me with blending my sources. This is a very important aspect because if you do not blend your paper it will become very choppy and hard for your audience to follow.

What is one writing tip/strategy that you will not use from this chapter?

One writing tip that I will and did not use for writing my first draft was to start at the beginning. The main reason I did not use this strategy was because I am one who when they first start to write usually gets a writer’s block while writing the introduction. So instead for this paper I wrote it in chunks and then blended it together, starting with what I knew I wanted to write about and then working towards what I did not. I found this most helpful because it gave me a basis to work off of.

Chapter 4

One thing that I learned after reading this chapter was that after I have read some articles and gained some more knowledge about my topic, try writing a little bit about what you learned.  This way it can be all of your words and you won't have to worry about plagerizing.  One thing that I won't use in my paper is the interview part. It was irrelevant to my paper so I just kind of ignored that section.

chapter 4

I think that it is really helpful that the writer talks about writing a strong conclusion. I learned that even though most people find it good to restate the points in the conclusion made before, I should not do it because the reader will get annoyed with the repetitive information.  Also, such words as “ in conclusion” or “thus” signal that the writer is going to summarize his ideas in the conclusion. I will try to stop doing this in my future papers, so hopefully my conclusions will be more effective and interesting.

Another thing that I am going to use for my paper is an interview. I will schedule an appointment with my HB 237 professor.

I also paid attention that the author gives different examples how to cite the sources.  He provides us with different kinds of quotes, such as grafting, sandwiching , billboarding, and splicing quotes. I think that my paper will look more interesting if I use these different types of quotes.

This chapter helped me in many different ways. It helped me think of and refine my thesis and help narrow down my topic. It also helped me differentiate between which paragraphs it's okay to use my own personal opinion and how to go about telling it. This chapter helped me organize my thoughts right as I was going to write my draft. I need to make sure it flows well and read it over and over again.
There are no strategies from this book that I will not use. All of this strategies from writing strong endings, to using quotations are all helpful and I will utilize them all to get the best grade I can.

Chapter 4 Curious Researcher

Something I learned and will use for my Research paper is what to use and what not to use when writng my rough draft. Also, I will use the tips he used on writing the begining and writing the end of the paper. Something I do not think I will use is including myself into the paper. I do not think that for my topic it is necessary for me to add myself.

Chapter 4 Curious Researcher

This chapter of the Curious Researcher helped me in a way to start my paper. I often find it difficult to start papers and create the "smooth momentum" of writing. The author suggested a number of ways to begin a paper but my personal favorite was starting with a quotation or a short story to introduce the topic at hand. The author's tip for including yourself into the paper is a little skeptical to me. Although it is important to have voice in a paper, I don't find it appropriate to do so in a research paper. Since I personally am learning new material, voicing my opinion on the matter would be invalid to the reader.

Ch. 4 Curious Researcher

In this chapter of The Curious Researcher, I learned a lot that will help me in writing my first draft.  Normally, I find it very difficult to not use the word "I" sometimes.  Ballenger explains though, that by excluding the "slender I" the author can really begin to have a conversation with their reader through the text. For example, saying "this paper will argue that..." really allows the writer to enter their own text through their use of words.  Another thing I learned to focus on, is to always stay true to my research question, so that I don't fall off track with my topic. Something I will not use from this chapter is the argumentative approach to this paper.   I am not making an argument with my  topic, I am just stating the research.

Chapter 4 The Curious Researcher

I have not finished my first draft yet, but this chapter helped me begin writing because it informed me of the proper steps to take when beginning a first draft paper. It especially helped me because it allows you to start the paper two weeks before it is due (because I usually procrastinate). Something that I will use in my first draft after reading chapter 4 is the use of “I”. Since High School I have always been confused about whether or not it is appropriate to use “I” in a research paper. After reading chapter 4, I learned that you can use it if you are using a specific example from your life. You should not use it to say your opinion or what you think, because that is already evident because you are the writer. Something I will not use from chapter 4 is “Reclaiming Your Topic”, the fast write after looking at all of your notes (Exercise 4.2). I just feel that would not be a good use of my time or helpful to me, I would rather work on my paper. 

Chapter 4 Curious Researcher

This helped me write my first draft is when he discussed writing the beginning. I’ve always had a really hard time doing this. He said to try and use three different beginnings. This can help me because I can use all of the best parts of each beginning in my final beginning paragraph. Something I will not use is the Handling Interview Material section because I am not performing an interview for my research.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Curious Researcher help me to write my first draft because it told me to check over my research. It said to make sure the paper flowed well, what I mean by that is make sure you are not taking to different views to support the same argument. Doing that may cause problem of understanding with someone reading your paper.

Chapter Four.

In Chapter four of the Curious Researcher there were different things that helped me and things that I wont use when writing my paper. Something from this chapter that helped me was when it talked about reading for research. This will help because it shows ways how to read rhetorically which I didn't really know before. Also, it helped me with knowing better ways that I can start my paper.  I didn't like when it talked about the interview stuff. This wont help me because I am not doing an interview for this paper.

Chapter 4- 3/20

This chapter helped me look at writing a draft in a whole new way. I learned how to take the time to actually write a rough draft. One thing I got from this chapter that I will not use is everything that dealt with interviews. I am not going to use an interview in my research paper. Although that information may be helpful to others who are interviewing it is not helpful to me.

Chapter 4

How did this chapter help you write your first draft?

It helped me think of ideas for my lead paragraph because I always get stuck, and now I think I may be able to start it well.  It gave examples and I tried to apply them to my subject.  Also, it helped me when it said to write about facts you know.  For my paper I will know a lot of background information since I know a lot about my disciplinary already.  I will be able to put in personal experience and beliefs effectively because of my past knowledge.

What is one writing tip/strategy that you won’t use from this chapter?

One tip I won’t use is starting my paper with an anecdote. I am planning on using a quotation or two to begin it, which was also one of the suggestions.  

Chapter 4

This chapter help me sort out my ideas so that I could write my draft. I liked how it gave flow charts of ways that will help sort out your thesis and topics that you will and will not use. This gave me insight into my paper of what I will be able to eliminate as unimportant details or some things that I may be able to elaborate on. One tip that I will be using in my draft is the cut and paste technique. The technique will help figure out how I want to structure each paragraph and organize my ideas in a logical and more concise way.

Curious Researcher Chapter 4

This chapter really helped me with my first draft a lot. It really helped me structure my paper and my research. I was struggling on how to structure all the research I had complied into a logical paper arrangement and this chapter helped guide me into the right direction.


The writing strategy that I used when writing the first draft was the thesis workshop. I really was struggling on how to form an effective thesis and the models that they offered assisted me a lot. The other writing strategies I will use will be how to form a good intro and conclusion because again I was struggling with that.

One thing that I took away from this chapter is the lead. He talks about using a good lead into the paper. Something that is a good introduction for you to get the attention of your reader. He says that an easy way to start out is to write multiple leads. This way you can highlight different things and create the best introduction you can. You can use many things like ancedotes, scenes, profiles, and so on. This helped me becuase the introduction is always the hardest part for me to write, so writing a couple different introductions would give me more options. This way I can start out my paper in a way that will make the reader want to continue to read, instead of thinking that this will be a boring paper. One writing tip that I will not use from this chapter is the interview strategy. I am not doing an interview for my research paper so I will not need to use his strategy for them.

chapter 4 curious researcher

I liked his idea of using the five paragraph structure, I have been using that and it has always been extremely helpful when it comes to organization. I have been overloaded with information and constructing it this way is helpful to eliminate much information and come up with a structured thesis. I don't believe I am writing an argumentative essay, so I won't be using any of the tips or strategies involved with that.

Blogpost on chapter 4 march 20, 2012

How did this chapter help you write your first draft?

It helped me because it taught me that the traditional 5 paragraph essay structure is usually boring and not very personal. It also gave me the option of delayed thesis if I'm doing an exploratory essay. This is what I will use since I am trying to find out more information throughout the whole paper.

I will not use the question claim method because I am not writing an argument so I don't have a standpoint on this. I will also probably not use the word I in my essay.

Chapter 4

I just wrote an outline for today, so I will be using the draft/final draft tips tonight and tomorrow to complete the paper. His tips about talking to your audience while you write will really help me stay focused. This is an unfamiliar audience, and a much more advanced audience than I have written to before, so constantly putting myself in their shoes and asking the questions that they want answered will help me write a focused, informative paper. I will most defiantly not use the word "I" in my paper. "I" has never been allowed in any research paper I have written, and even though Ballenger says it's okay to do as long as your consistent, I do not feel that it is appropriate for my field of science based professionals. To keep my audience in mind, I feel that this paper must be extremely formal.

3/20/12 The Curious Researcher Chapter 4

From reading Chapter 4 of The Curious Researcher, I will hopefully be able to write a good research paper. In the beginning of the chapter, Ballenger writes that there are two directions that I can go with my draft: argument or exploratory. I have decided to use the exploratory approach to write my research essay; with the topic that I have chosen this seems to be the best choice. One writing tip/strategy that I will not use from this chapter is the ‘writing multiple leads’ suggestion. Writing introductions to papers is usually one of the hardest parts of writing the entire paper for me. Trying to write three separate introductions for this paper would take me too much time. I would be too focused on making all of these introductions “perfect” to move on and focus on writing the remainder of my paper to make this suggestion useful for me.

Chapter 4 Curious Researcher!

This chapter helped me begin my paper. It gave a lot of useful ways to begin a paper using a quote, question, dialogue, and experience. All of those things were very helpful, since I find it always really hard to begin a paper. One of the writing tips/ strategies that I will not use from this chapter is how to incorporate I in my paper. I don't think that it would be necessary because this should be a formal paper since you are writing to your field.

Chapter 3 - Curious Researcher

One of the ideas that I found really useful was how to practice paraphrasing. Ballenger says to read and understand the part of the article that you want to paraphrase and then to not look back at the book until you are done paraphrasing. I know I will try this idea because when I used to paraphrase, I would always be stuck saying that the way the person said it was the way I wanted to say it. This will help me be able to really use my own style of writing and voice through my paper instead of saying I like the way it was already written.