Research Project ups and downs

For some reason every time I hear or read the words “research project” I cringe, mainly because they have not treated me well in my past experiences. That being said when I start them I find them to be interesting and compelling (as long as I somewhat enjoy the subject. I had to do a research paper my first semester at Antelope Valley College on a classical composer, needless to say that research project did not help my opinion on research projects in general, and I tend to make assumptions that I’m going to have a miserable time whenever I am assigned them. However I have matured since my first semester and I find now that research projects can actually be a good way to express something you might feel strongly about. You can give opinions and back them up with facts that you researched, this is what makes research papers so powerful. Usually when you try to make an argument in person with someone of opposing ideas, you usually have limited ammo (I know I do). But when you research a topic and write it all down, there is no room for counterpoints, and people have to read the paper in full before they make assumptions. I realize I am making it sound like a “persuasive paper” and not a research paper, but you can argue and make valid points in research papers, and people not even know it. I am glad (kind of haha) we got the assignment and choice of the modern day topics involving Iran. Ever since we were attacked on 9-11 and declared the “War on Terror”, I have become very intrigued with Middle Eastern countries, and it became such a relevant topic ever since that incident. I realize Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan are all very different countries, but ever since the eye of America was turned to that particular region of the world, it has become something we now pay attention to. For example, before the war happened I honestly couldn’t find the Middle East on a map, let alone know what was happening over there. I think we need to realize that we as Americans do have it very good compared to many other countries, and I think we tend to jump to a lot of conclusions about other countries and cultures because they are unfamiliar. That aside, I think there is a lot of mistreatment and corruption going on that is against humanity, and when dignity and humanity is being tampered with I think that gives us the right as the most powerful nation on Earth to step in. I have chosen the topic of “Iran’s Nuclear Power Program” because that popped out at me as a subject that I would like to research. Also because I think Nuclear power raises a lot of eyebrows, and given the recent events in Japan I think it is a topic that deserves and needs a lot of attention. As far as the project, as of now it is going ok, I need to do more research and it is turning out to be a very hard subject to grasp. Other than that I should be ok.