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My reflection for the entirety of my research journey is written below! Thank you for reading and enjoying with me along the way.
CONTENT REFLECTION:
In my topic, I learned a lot about the relevance of Christianity and religion as a whole in young adult fiction novels. I learned, through researching the prevalence of Christian themes and references, that religion has a very big impact on the literary makeup of the novels that I read, and any novels in general. I also learned that there are many different factors to storytelling and that religion and religious elements are oftentimes a key factor to the author's ability to bring the story to life and make it more captivating and relatable. With this knowledge in mind, it will be easier for me to determine the hidden aspects of any novels that I read in the future. I will also be able to apply the different findings of themes and prevalence in order to do more research on the true impact of religion on young adult novels. By undergoing this research, I can do more extensive research on religion and fuel my passion for religious studies, thus aiding my understanding of different belief systems and their similarities and differences. Literature and religion oftentimes come hand in hand, so the knowledge I have gained from this process will help me to have a greater understanding and background of the novels that I read indefinitely. In the future, I could take this research even deeper and do the same thing, but with a different religion. I could also research the prevalence of Christianity in young adult fiction novels more by reading even more novels and picking out more themes. Extensive research in the same direction would only have been able to happen with this initial research process and question, so everything that I have learned will be of the utmost importance and very helpful in order to expand my research and knowledge on this topic and many more like it.
Product Reflection:
As I was writing my paper, I learned a great deal of things. For example, I learned the importance of the scholarly research of different articles and past research. Doing this research helped me to better understand the topic that I was undergoing my process through and was vital to the beginnings of my research. This research also allowed me to be be unbiased and have a more controlled research practice due to the opinions of many other people helping to create the most universal and unbiased venue of procedure and thought during my research process. One very important and influential past article for me in particular was a work done in a discussion of the Christian themes that could be found in the Lord of the Rings. Like all of the other novels that had been researched on prior, this novel had been written by a Christian author who included many religious aspects in his novels. This research allowed me to have an example to base some of my themes off of in order to create a list that included major themes that appeared in many other novels. This research also correlated with some other research that had been done on various other novels, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Superman, and Harry Potter. Combined, I was able to create my list of Christian themes, based off of the research I had done, and was, in return, able to conduct my own research. Doing this helped me to learn the importance of doing the research beforehand before starting my own research in order to have a deeper understanding of my topic and to form an unbiased opinion from the results. I also learned the value of the opinions of other people while undergoing the research process. After my research, I also learned the important skill of presenting my work in a professional manner, but also a relatable and understandable one. The skills that I learned during the creation of my presentation and my actual presentation will help me in innumerable ways in the future. These skills will be important for research or other projects done in college, as well as idea pitches at a job I may have in the future.
Process Reflection:
Throughout the timeline of my research, I discovered a lot about myself. As a researcher, I learned that, once in a topic that I thoroughly enjoy, the research is not as difficult or tedious as I had previously thought. Changing my research partway through the semester actually motivated me more than it discouraged me because I was able to find a topic that I was engrossed in and thoroughly enjoyed. However, I also learned that I need to take breaks in my research to keep my initial momentum of motivation going in order to conduct my studies in the best way possible. As a student, I learned that I am able to do a great many things when I give myself the motivation and energy to do so. I need to pace my work and not run for a long time and experience burnout. I learned that my health is just as important as my work and that I should set aside some time to take even a small break to help my mind and body reset before having a refreshed mindset. I also learned that I tend to not ask for help due to my fears of being judged or not being able to get the help I need, however, I learned the importance of asking for help when needed and pushed myself to get the help on my research and get my questions answered in order to do the best studies possible for me. I will carry the lessons that I have learned about myself throughout the rest of my life and my career as a student and then as an employee and a part of the labor force. They will help to help guide myself through my next research project and allow me to remember that everything I do leads up and is worth it in the end.
The Future:
I plan to continue my religious studies and literature research throughout college and even after. Although it may not be done in a professional environment, I will do the research on my own time to fuel my curiosities and broaden the expanse of my knowledge. I would love to do further research on other religions with this topic, as well as conduct a comparison of various other religious novels and see their similarities.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank my AP Research instructor, Mrs. Dobos, from the bottom of my heart for her constant encouragement and understanding throughout the year. Her encouragement allowed me to persevere and continue my research and stay on the path of growth and development. I would also like to thank Mr. Winkelman, another AP Research instructor and the school librarian, for aiding me in my literature review and helping to guide me to some novels that I could read and also encouraging my research. Both of these instructors have worked so hard to help me to be a steady researcher, and for that I am very grateful. I also would like to thank my peers for their constant encouragement and their kindness throughout the process. I truly was so blessed to have such an amazing group of peers who always sought to uplift each other and aid each other. Last, I would like to thank my parents who encouraged my research and gave me new curiosities with it in the questions they asked. My research began with them and continued with their care and encouragement.
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