Opinions are often excellent starting points for a paper topic. We all have them, but sometimes we hesitate to share them for whatever reason. Well, here's your chance. Write down at least 5 opinions. I'll get us started:
- Veronica Mars is the best show on television right now.
- Purdue doesn't spend enough money on the Liberal Arts.
- U2 is the most overrated band ever.
- Target is a better store than Wal-mart.
- Blogs are changing the way the news is reported.
As I mentioned in class on Thursday, we often think that arguments have to be made about social issues. Even though my New Year's Resolution was to keep up with current events better, I still watch
The Simpsons rather than the news, and I read blogs rather than CNN. Does that mean I'm screwed when it comes to picking a topic that interests me? No. I can still make an argument about the things that interest me. For instance, if I wanted to write about
Veronica Mars, I could perhaps look at television and ratings and find out more information about the ratings system and how it works. This might lead me to a question about whether or not it's effective. While I probably couldn't find scholarly articles on
Veronica Mars, there's probably something out there about ratings. For instance, I did a quick search on JSTOR for "television ratings" and came up with a great article from
Management Science called "Scheduling of Network Television Programs."
Now that you've stated your opinions, think about how you could turn one of them into a good research topic. What kind of things would you look at? What questions might you ask?
20 comments:
1. Purdue doesnt give out enough scholarships
2. Chocolate milk is underrated
3. The cafateria food is getting old
4. Computer's go for quanity before quality
5. Tests are overrated
If I chose to write about computers, I could write about how they are being mass produced and how people are having problems with their computers. I can give specific examples of when people have had trouble with their computer.
1. Nascar is the best sport.
2. People spend too much time on the computer.
3. Prepaying for gasoline is ridiculous.
4. Purdue’s tuition is too high.
5. Cruisers are safer than sport bikes.
Prepaying for gasoline doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe I could look at the amount of times people “pump and run” to better understand a stations choice to force prepayment for fuel. I would also think about how many people agree or disagree with the idea. That would bring up the question; do prepayments save a station more money by preventing gas from being stolen than it loses from people boycotting the station? What other types of security measures could be taken?
1. Mcdonald's is the worst fast food
2.The best show on TV is Lost
3.Coffee tastes like garbage
4.Keystone light is the best cheap beer
5.Snowboarders are so much better than skiers
There probably wouldnt be any scholarly articles, on which cheap beer is the best, but there are reviews and polls on the internet about which one the majority of people like the most. There would probably be articles on achohol in general, and maybe even beer vs. liquor.There are probably also articles on the making of beer by different companies.
I prefer TV sitcoms to the news. I agree that Target is a much better store than Wal-mart. I think that Purdue Freshman should be able to pick the times of their classes, just like everyone else. Spring break is one of my favorite times of the year. I think researching online is much more effective than going to a library.
I think I could research my last opinion, about how looking things up online is more effective than spending time at a library. I could probably find some statistics online, stating how many more people use online research compared to books and magazines in a crowded library. Also how much quicker it is to just sit at home on your computer, where you can find books as well. I would probably ask ofcourse, why people might prefer online research, and discover that question a little bit. I'd also ask questions about how research of any type has evolved over the years since the internet. What types of people usually go to libraries? Compared to which people are found constantly surfing the net for research.
House MD wins at life.
Harry Potter is one of the greatest things ever created.
Homosexuals deserve the right to marry and be happy.
Walmart = Evil.
Siblings that argue are a good thing.
I think several of these would make good topics to look into, but i think the one that i'd find most interesting is the sibling one. I'd like to see what research has been done on sibling rivalry. I know i'm certainly at an advantage now from fighting with my brother than i would be if i'd never had a sibling. I'd look into what research had been done, how successful people are based on the number of siblings, age difference between siblings, how close you were to them, things along those lines. I might take an infomral survey of the people around me as well to take a look at.
1. Purdue needs to make their transportation system more effective.
2. Purdue needs more places to eat within the campus.
3. Purdue needs better parking facilities.
4. Prison Break is the best show on TV.
5. The lakers are overated.
I can definetely turn my opinion 3 into a good topic. I would start by looking for the various parking facilities already availible and where do people have the most difficult time finding a spot. After that I can come up with solutions to that, after that I could research about the drawbacks or dissadvantages of parking garages etc. I would probably be able to come up with a good question after this.
Opinions
1. Peyton Manning will be the greatest quarterback ever to play NFL.
2. Golf is more relaxing than fishing.
3. Women have more power over men, then men having power over women.
4. American Idol is not as good as the past ones.
5. Ferrari's are better than Lambo's.
The topic I would do more research on would be the first one about Peyton Manning.
The way I would start out would be by looking at ESPN News reports. I can look at statistics, to see if people also believe in this. I would look at the records he has already broken, and the ones he soon will. I would see what the past quarterbacks had done and in what time frame they did it in to see if Peyton will blow the record out of the water or just miss by a hair.
I would also want to know if Peyton thinks about these records; or does he just play the game and not worry about any records as long as his team wins.
1. Family Guy is one of the funnist cartoons ever.
2. Friends is the best comedy show ever.
3. Directors, producers, and the people of visual effects do a great job of presenting Marvel comics movies.
4. Rebuilding the new WTC design is better than rebuilding the old design.
5. Exams are overrated.
Opinion #3: Many have their opinions about movies. Action/adventure movies interest me and the way movie makers add visual effects amazes me. I would look at the ratings for each Marvel movie, critics criticism, fans response, etc. What makes these movies so good? How well do they represent the comics? Will there be a movie for each Marvel comic hero? Will they go beyond Marvel and onto others, such as Capcom?
1. Television censorship is too strict; responsibility should lie more with the parents.
2. Live concerts can get way too expensive, musicians shouldn't charge that much to spread an art.
3. Purdue sucks at winter.
4. Freshman should be allowed and encouraged to have cars on campus.
5. Musician's Friend is the best source for music equipment.
I plan on researching the first point above, censorship in television, and more specifically why they block the things that they do. I plan to look at differences in time and station, as well as what the censors actually block out. What does a person have to go through to get something that they find offensive off the air? Why are people offended by some mild things but not by things that are perhaps more severe?
1 Walmart is a knock of of Mejeirs
2 The comedy news shows are better than the regular news
3 Cell phone are becoming too much of a crutch for society
4 The speed channel is the best channel on television
5 Gatorade is better than Powerade
Cell phones are becoming too much of a crutch. You could then do reseach on how many accidents are caused by cell phone use and what they are doing about this issue. Next you could talk about how much time is spent on the in comparison to the other important events in life. Another angle you could take is on how the people would react if they instituted laws on cell phone usage in certain areas or times of the day.
1. Roger Federer is the best tennis player to have played tennis.
2. Teachers should be paid more.
3. The cost for a meal swipe at the dining halls are too much.
4. Heroes on Fox is amazing.
5. Anyone from Lafayette, Indiana can get into Purdue.
Roger Federer is the best tennis player to have played tennis could be turned into a good research topic. First, one would look at his ratings in the ATP. Secondly, one might look at how many games he has played and how many of those games he has won. Also, one could look at how long he has been at the number one position in the world. Some questions someone might ask is why is he at the number one position. The next question that would follow would be, can the number two seeded person beat him. Also, one might ask how are the players rated. Is it determined on how many wins he has won? Or is it determined on how many tournaments he has been in? Does Federer's coach and practice make him the number one player in the world. What does it take to beat Roger Federer? If someone were to ask these questions he could go and try to find what other people have to say about Roger Federer. With all of these questions, one would be able to come to a conclusion that he is or is not, in fact, the best player to have played tennis.
1. Wal-mart is a good thing.
2. The drinking age should be dropped to 18.
3. Legalization of marijuana would financially benefit our country.
4. Book vendors should have a cap on how much they can mark-up the school's required books.
5. Chivalry is dead...
(2.) Considering am 1 year away from being 21, it wouldn't matter much if the age dropped to 18. To be sure I would look for statistics showing the troubles with underage drinkers in the US. Also, I would look for the problems with other countries that have no drinking age at all.
Why is the international drinking age 18?
What is our reason for leaving it at 21 when you can vote at 18?
Is it just an outdated law so, because the voting aged dropped to encompass the many soldiers that were 18 and drafted, and the drinking law never caught up?
1. Old Simpsons episodes are better than the newer ones.
2. "Male Enhancement" ads rule the TV.
3. U2 IS the most overrated band ever.
4. Rap is crap (my opinion).
5. Pizza Hut has the best pizza.
I remember when I used to laugh at the Simpsons because they were funny. Now I laugh at them because I can't believe they can't come up with better things. What about the newer epidsodes makes the show inferior to previous seasons? One thing I've noticed is that they tend to use cameos in just about every episode. Why do they feel the need to do this? Just how long havet the writers been around? Have they run out of new ideas? Should they call it quits? I'm also interested to see how the ratings compare now to several years ago. Are they higher now than in years past? If so, then why? If it's higher, then is it because there are more people on the planet now who can watch it? I just feel that the cartoon has been dumbed down to please the current audience.
1. Denny's is not as good as Ihop.
2. Ipods are definitely overrated.
3. On campus living is overpriced and most of the places are small and run down.
4. Nascar is a sport for "hillbillies".
5. People in Hospitality can deal with anyone in the world.
I think that if i were to expand on one of these, it would be number 2. I think that i would start with my opinion about Ipods and then i would lead into other questions. I would why i feel that way? What makes an Ipod so much better than a standard mp3 player? Why are people so willing to pay the enormous prices of Ipod when they could get another for a much cheaper price? Do many people actually buy all those accessories for the Ipod, such as: the Ipack, the cases, the stereos, etc.?
1. Watching violent television programs or playing violent videogames creates violence in children.
2. Coke is better than Pepsi.
3. Insurance companies, not doctors, dictate what kind of medical treatment patients should get.
4. Japanese cars are better than American cars.
5. Vinyl records are superior in sound to CD's or other electronic media.
For violence on television causing violence in children you could look at the rates of playground violence over the years. You could research television ratings and see if there might be a correlation between a particularly violent television program and emergency room admissions for children.
1. Kids these days are spoiled.
2. No one should ever own exotic animals, like tigers.
3. Grey's Anatomy is the best show..ever.
4. Gym Class Heroes is a new band that is amazing.
5. Facebook should not be open to people who are not in college.
1. I could research current parenting styles and compare them to those of the past. How the relationship between parents and children has changed over the years, and possibly laws through that have made it like that. For example, parents used to hit their children and that is now not allowed
2. I could look up PEDA and see what they have to say about it. I could see the negatives to owning those kinds of animals and find stories where it has turned out badly. That might lead me to ask is it okay to own any animals, which would fall under animal cruelty and animal rights.
3. I could look at TV ratings and see how many people watch Grey's and how it was grown from its first season.
4. I could look at song ratings or band ratings and see how many people are buying their album. I could also look at music trends and how they have changed over the years, as well as what influences have led to those changes.
5. I could look at the history of facebook and why it changed to being open to people other than college students. I could also find the dangers of it and the changing technology that has brought us to developments like facebook and myspace.
1. Pizza Hut is the best pizza chain on campus
2. Lacrosse is the most exciting sport
3. Florida will win the Championship again in basketball
4. Chevy sells the best cars
5. Audoislave is the best band in the last ten years
If I had to pick one of these opinions I would choose Florida winning the National Championship based on the amount of knowledge I have about them. Also, with the NCAA tournament coming in the next couple weeks many articles would be written about the tournament but if the Gators will be able to repeat as national champs. This would make my researches a lot easier because of the updates and articles written in the building up of the tournament. When researching I would compare there record, roster, and statistics with inferior teams and note how their strategy is unbeatable. I would then ask myself questions like is it too much pressure for a team with that caliber, or will the recent slump among the team effect the progress into the tournament? In the end, this topic would be perfect for me because I could keep going on about Florida but what I would have to consider is if the topic would keep the reader interested.
1. Fire Fox is better than IE
2. Hockey is better than football
3. The New York Yankees are the worst run franchise in baseball right now.
4. The Simpsons is better than Family Guy
5. Autoracing in America is worse than what else is available around the world.
Ok I am saying this in the middle of Indiana, hockey is sooooo much better than football, american football. Why do I say that? Well personally hockey is a more fast paced, emotional game in comparison to football. Which sport allows a team player to pick a fight with a player on the opposing team because he is taking advantage of your best player? Football basically ends up being a few shoves and then the ref's flag comes out. Hockey also requires each player to be proficient on both offense and defense or else the team will fail, whereas in football its not as common to see some guy come out on both offense and defensive teams. Around the world hockey is more popular than american football; in Europe for example, american football is almost non existant except in England, where even there it takes backseat to football, cricket, rugby, and Formula One. Many people can pick up the game of hockey by just watching, but just watching football requires a fire time viewer to ask endless questions about "whats that penalty", "why didn't ____ happen to ___"-like questions. Even in Australia where hockey is as non existant as american football, the Australians have changed the american game around to something that attracts crowds in comparison to the american football. Hockey requires the player to be disciplined moreso than football because they are using potential weapons to play with and traveling at faster speeds which can result in injury if the players don't control themselves. While football is fun and fun to watch, hockey is just so much better.
1. Football is the best sport to watch on TV
2. Mainstream movies are better than independant films
3. PC's are better than Mac's
4. The best network on TV is Spike
5. In general, pre-90's model cars are made better than they are now
If I was to write about football I could write about TV network ratings and the number of viewers during the superbowl compared to other sports' national events. This could lead into giving explaining why contact sports are usually considered more fun to watch for most people from a pyschological standpoint. This could also lead to researching whether American tradition plays into this.
1) A true athlete is a track & field athlete.
2) Women are equal to men, if not greater.
3) Single moms don't get enough credit.
4) Ford needs set of new menus for the second semester.
5) Purdue should cancel EAS 105 as a class.
If I were to choose from these opinions I would choose #3. Single moms in my eyes are underrated and really could use a lot more respect for everything they do. I would go about researching this topic by, at first, interviewing a sinle mom and a mother with inside help (husband or boyfriend). I would ask questions that pertain to their daily activities and the mental stability, as well as their emotional stability.
Post a Comment