Tutor profile: Caitlyn V.

What makes a good paper?

Organizing your ideas in an outline is the first step to a good paper. From the beginning, it is important to keep track of the sources you use and create annotations along the way. An outline of the introduction should include your topic, its relevance to your thesis, and brief introductions to the supporting arguments of the thesis. These brief introductions will provide a roadmap to clearly understand the themes included in the following paragraphs that prove your thesis statement. The conclusion should always summarize the commonalities between the supporting points used to explain your thesis, as well as including any implications that your arguments hold for the overall wealth of knowledge regarding your topic. It is important that a writer is not too repetitive and considers how an uninformed reader may perceive their work. Several revisions of a draft will help with the fluidity of a paper, but starting with an outline allows the rest of the writing process to be far more efficient.

How can an individuals’ political ideology shape their opinions on foreign policy?

One’s surrounding culture and line of work can converge to shape their political ideologies. These ideologies then determine what political issues one chooses to support and consequently which politicians they help to elect. For example, an agricultural producer in a developed country will naturally be more likely to support conservative protectionist trade policies. This farm owner would be more likely to prefer policies that raise tariffs, so local businesses would be forced to buy cheaper domestic goods. A weaker currency is typically favorable to agricultural workers because other countries can afford more of their exports. On the other hand, a wealthy urban dweller in a developed country who is an international investor might support liberal trade agreement policies. This investor will likely support policies that foster the easy flow of capital between countries and allow them to face less taxes. This type of individual may support a stronger currency so they have more buying power on a global market. Political science is an important field to consider when determining what issues certain stakeholders may support. An understanding of multiple political ideologies is essential to realms beyond political science and can help in team building, public policy, business negotiation, and critical thinking.

How is R helpful with statistical analyses?

R is a programming language that helps tell statistical narratives so readers can easily understand findings within their database. When researchers have to decipher tremendous amounts of data, data analysis languages like R allow them to easily organize and fashion their work so the average reader can absorb extremely complex information. Linear regressions and scatter plots are two common statistical explanations coders use R to produce. A basic understanding of a simple linear regression equation, the equation that finds the “line of best fit” between variables, is needed to code these functions. Linear regression is useful in visualizing general trends the data shows. R is a useful tool in your analytical toolbox because users can run multiple linear regression models on complex datasets efficiently. Once a user is done with their analysis, they can knit their code chunks into a .pdf or .worddoc to share with others. Linear regression is an important part of coding visuals such as scatterplots to convey the relationships between different variables and how they correlate or not, identify possible causations, and spot biases in your own estimations.