The Research Paper, Part 1 - Prayer & Devotion

A complete argument needs a complete paper to contain it. It is critical to structure your research paper and write in a clear manner. It should flow and read easily so that your reader will understand and more likely be persuaded. This is the concluding episode in our Writing suite, and we hope to end it with a bang!

We are both in places where we need to move on to some different things, and so it is time to bring an end to Surviving Seminary. It has been a fun year working on this project, and we hope that it has been fun and valuable for you! Enjoy this final episode where we reflect on our podcasting path, talk about the future, and take some time to express our appreciation for everyone who has listened to the show. 

Even if you feel like your research paper has a water tight argument, you may have to add some extra components that will address objections and offer additional explanations. These components, known respectively as acknowledgements and warrants, will make your presentation clearer and increase your credibility. Kevin and Jason will break it down for you in this episode.

The main thing you are saying in your paper (your thesis), has to be supported. This is where reasons and evidence enter the picture. Kevin is out of quarantine, and the semester is over, but we are still working on our series about the research writing process. Enjoy!

At its heart, your paper will boil down to this: a clear, concise two or three sentences which explain your topic, research problem, and (most importantly) the claim you are making. This is a thesis statement, and it will help keep your paper on track. Kevin and Jason break down some of the ins and outs of Theses and sub-claims today.

After finding a topic for your research paper, the next step, aside from gobs and gobs of reading, is to encounter things which cause you to ask questions. Questions, and the need to seek answers to them, will drive your paper further toward completion. That's what Kevin and Jason are talking about on this episode.

A research paper cannot get off the ground without a topic, a narrowed focused area of research around which your paper will be based. On this episode, Kevin and Jason talk about the difference between a subject and a topic, and the ways in which a topic for a research paper might be narrowed down. In case you forgot or didn't hear the last episode, this suite of episodes will be our final "season," as it were, so don't miss a moment of it!

How do you write a research paper? What are the steps? In this episode, Kevin and Jason begin a suite of episodes exploring just that. The first and most foundational step for writing a paper in seminary is to pay attention to what the Lord is saying to you. Also, listen carefully; we have some announcing to do.

Last time, we talked about the hazards of a tech-filled life, based on the book Bored and Brilliant. This time, we talk about the book Digital Minimalism, and touch upon our personal experiences in trying to be more technologically responsible.

Boredom is typically seen as something to be avoided at all costs. And we've become pretty good at that, especially through the technology that is all around us. But what if boredom wasn't our enemy, but actually an ally that can recharge us and inspire deeper creativity. On this episode, Kevin and Jason discuss the ideas in the book Bored and Brilliant, and how those ideas can be useful to the seminarian.