Reading and Research

Who am I as a writer is something I have thought about since the beginning of my acedemic writing class. It was the first question we had to answer for the class and I said that I was an intermediate writer who needs time to revise. After sitting through class the last few months I think I have improved as an overall writer. Some of the techniques I have improved include locating key points through close reading and using academic articles as research topics. I have never been the biggest fan of reading, but this year I have pulled many key points out of the text to add to my papers. The books contain material that support my point of view, but I had to read closely to find. Close reading can be heavily tied to research. The research I have had to do this quarter has almost driven me crazy, but it can provide key supporting evidence towards my essays. The best thing to research is an academic article because it is from a reliable source. These articles have assisted me in organizing my thoughts, which makes me an overall better writer. Without reading and research I would not have been able to improve my writing skills.