GOAL 1: I used a multi-stage, recursive, and social process for my writing and took into consideration feedback from my instructor, classmates, and other readers. 

When it comes to writing, there is always room for improvement. I have learned this before and Professor Hodges always did a great job reiterating that writing can always be bettered. Throughout the whole semester, he always provided his students with loads of feedback. Although some people may have seen it as him criticizing our work, it was always positive criticism because he wanted to help us better our work. His feedback always allowed me to make my assignments better.

GOAL 2: I read source materials closely and analyzed them critically to learn how and why texts create meaning.

A big part of writing comes from reading other written work and understanding what it says. After picking a topic, the next step is reading up on it and gaining as much knowledge as possible on the topic. This is important because without information on a topic, it would be extremely difficult to write a research paper on it. It was helpful to read up on the  chosen topic to make it easier for me to write about. There is always information out there to read about different topics and further knowledge.

GOAL 3: I wrote with a particular audience in mind, allowing my purpose to shape the language and methods I used not just to communicate information but to persuade readers. 

I wrote with an audience in mind because I made sure to cover the background of my topic and explain what was going on for people who might not know what exactly was going on. This informed people and then I was able to talk about it and give my thoughts on it. I was formal about my writing, keeping in mind anyone could be reading it.

GOAL 4: I demonstrated my information literacy by synthesizing my own experience with new insights and information from a range of outside sources to produce new material.

Relating my life and experiences to my topic was pretty difficult. It is definitely easier and better to write about things that I can relate to. It can also make writing more interesting if you can include personal experiences or things like that. I am sure someway or somehow I could have thought of something to relate my topic with my life, but my topic made it very difficult.

GOAL 5: My writing is ethical. Writing about meaningful topics, I have engaged responsibly with them and represented my ideas and the ideas of others honestly, fairly, and logically. 

I definitely think I wrote about a meaningful topic and the way I presented the information was responsible. Some topics can be sensitive to readers and I was always careful of what I said and how I said it. I was honest with my own ideas, but I was careful as well. Representing others ideas is very important because it needs to be done properly. Representing ideas the right way is key to writing a research paper because in order to get the point across, it needs to be done correctly. I was definitely smart and careful with my own ideas, as well as other peoples ideas.