Question

discuss the relationship between your own opinions and the facts and opinions in the sources you will use in your research paper. Should you put any of your opinions in a research paper? If so, how should the sources relate to your own opinions? Which should seem to control the argument of your paper: your opinions or those of your sources?

Answer 1

The fundamental definition of a research paper, in fact, provides us with the answer to the question itself. We all know that research paper is different from an essay in the sense that it utilizes the extended analysis based on the data and solid evidence and not just opinions. Opinions can be biased but facts cannot be, this presents us with the solution to our problem. Do we only have to base our research paper on the facts alone? No, I do not believe that is the case either. The whole reason for writing a personal research paper is to be able to present a piece of opinion that you have, believe or have experienced and utilizing facts to back up that opinion is what makes a research paper great, not just mere theories and speculation made in isolation to the opinions of the world. The thing of the paper that seems to control the argument of the paper is factual evidence and data and not opinions because decisions made in isolation, especially opinions can be biased, untrue and if they lack evidence, untrustworthy.