Collins 1

Lauren Collins English 1102 Professor: Fran Voltz 11/18/13 EIP Reflection This Extended Inquiry Project has been a long and laborious process, but also a rewarding one. As I progressed from my proposal, to my annotated bibliography, to my essay I realize that my ideas really developed. When I first chose the subject of GMOs, I knew what they were but I didnt have a personal stance on the issue. When I first wrote my proposal I intended for my essay to be a neutral presentation of facts. In addition, I thought I would rely on scientific findings and evidence to support my points. These original expectations started to change as I did my research. I found that I was pulled more towards the ethics and philosophy of the subject, rather than the hard scientific facts. This influenced my paper because I focused on finding articles that commented on the ethics of GMOs. I think one reason my interest on the subject changed is that while scientific articles focused on the many revolutions in the field, the philosophical articles focused on how GMOs could help improve the human condition. I learned that the debate over GMOs had much wider implications than just furthering scientific discoveries. However, it was not until I started actually writing my essay that I took a stance on the issue. My research presented both reasons for and against GMOs, and I did not think I swayed either way. During research I tried to stay neutral and open-minded about the topic, but once I started writing it became clear that I favored the use of GMOs. I realized my position when I was writing about the benefits and could easily write with passion about the subject. It was at that point when I decided that I would present both sides, but in the conclusion advocate for the benefits of GMOs. I still believe that the other side has valid points, but personally I believe that we should use whatever technology is available to help those in need. The potential

Collins 2

for GMOs outweighed any of the other concerns my research presented. I did not expect to choose a side, so it is very interesting to see how my idea developed throughout the course of the project. Research was an integral part of this assignment because not only did it provide evidence to support my essay, but it broadened my scope on the topic. I decided that since I wanted a very factual and logical paper that I should focus on finding scholarly articles. I did this by using the UNCC Atkins Library database search. This was a very useful resource because it gave me access to countless sources I knew I could trust. The hardest part was specifying my search criteria to find exactly what I wanted. I started out searching genetically modified organisms but the results were too broad and mostly scientific in nature, detailing the genetic chemistry of the process. By this point I had decided to approach the subject from an ethical stance, so I narrowed my search to genetically modified food ethics. This gave me more specific results that I felt would better educate me about the subject. My research for this project differed significantly from research I had done in high school. In past projects I would actually write my essay and then try to find research that would fit into my thesis. I realize now that it is much more productive to research first and then allow your findings to help guide your essay. I know that my research dramatically influenced my final essay. In addition, I was able to choose my own subject for this project. In the past I was always given a specific topic or a very short list of possible topics. To be honest, the freedom was intimidating at first because there are so many options. I decided on GMOs because it was a topic in my favorite high school class and I knew it was controversial. This is also the first time that I have done an annotated bibliography before writing my essay. I think that the annotated bibliography is very useful because it helped synthesize the important information from each

Collins 3

source that was relevant to my topic. It can be very overwhelming when an article is very long, but only certain sections are important to your research. The annotated bibliography allowed me to take a step back and focus on what I needed to. I would describe my writing style as very spur of the moment. When I write I feel constricted by outlines and note cards, so I typically just start typing. At the beginning, this process can actually be more time intensive because I wrote and rewrote my opening paragraph at least three times. Once I found an opening that I thought I could build an essay off of, it became much easier. I had a general idea that I wanted to present all sides of the debate over GMOs, so I started with what I thought was most basic and tried to progress to more complex ideas. Before I started each new topic I would think about it for a while and come up with a plan in my head for what I wanted to include. This writing style works very well for me because I think I have the ability in editing to connect all of the separate ideas and make the essay flow. I chose an argument essay as my genre because GMOs are a very controversial issue and I knew I personally had an opinion on the subject. At first I tried to write in an informative genre but I could feel myself slip into arguing for one side over the other. I think that my particular style of an argument essay was effective. I made it a point to present both sides in as neutral way as I could, and then for my conclusion I started to make it evident what side I was arguing for. I chose to do it this way because I didnt want to bombard the reader with my opinions before they were exposed to the facts. I believe that the evidence speaks for itself and that my conclusion is powerful enough to effectively present my position on the subject. I think that my tone in this essay is scholarly, but I also relied on using pathos when I talked about it being our moral responsibility to help the worlds hungry.

Collins 4

My writers group was very helpful throughout this process. From the beginning I was confident in my ideas and my ability to communicate my ideas, but it was nice to have confirmation that I was headed in the right direction. It was also beneficial to read my group members works because it gave me a basis of comparison for my own work. I didnt want to copy their ideas or organization, but critiquing theirs helped me to critique mine. I also hope that I helped my group members in the way that they helped me. While peer reviews were an important part of this process the most helpful comments can from Professor Voltz. She was very helpful during this entire project in guiding the direction of my project. In conclusion, though this has been a long process it was very rewarding. There is an innate sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a large project. Also, I feel that I learned a lot about GMOs that I did not already know. My overall interest in the subject has been increased. Lastly, I learned a lot about myself as a learner. The strategies and tools I implemented in this project will help me throughout my years as a student and even in my future career.