PB 2A: Importance of Evidence

Science research papers aren't the world's most entertaining type of reading; however, they can be informative in a dull, academic way. Most people go their entire life without writing a scientific research paper but can still be able to identify one when they see it because of the conventions within the genre. The science research paper generator, SCIgen, and an actual science research paper, "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?", contain similar but varying conventions. The most important aspect of the scientific research paper is the main study/procedure because without it, the paper would have zero validation. 

The science research paper SCIgen produced contained many similar qualities of the actual paper, "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?". The authors for the papers know their audience are scholars, professors, etc, and present the information with academic language and a formal tone. Both of the papers contain titles, a summary at the beginning, references, writing that is broken up into sections, for instance, implications, results, conclusion, etc. 

These papers also have a specific study that was conducted, and the study's results to prove the thesis of the statement. Similarly, the papers use tables/figures to further support their evidence, for example, the SCIgen paper has five different figures throughout the paper to show a model of their study and the results. 

However, "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?", uses three tables at the end of the paper to verify the conclusion of the entire paper. 

In comparison, the SCIgen paper is a random mess that doesn't make sense because it is generated to be amusing and not educational. It's supposed to demonstrate how following conventions can result in an appropriate-looking paper that has no actual context. On the other hand, "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?", is a scientific research paper from an academic journal that actually is trying to demonstrate how students shouldn't choose a major based on job stereotypes.

Most importantly, scientific research papers include plenty of evidence and statements that are concluded from other research to support the main argument. Many individuals would say the thesis/argument is the most important part of the research paper but without the evidence and study, the thesis is nothing.

In "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?", the authors state, "College students select their major field of study for many reasons. One of those is the stereotypes that students hold of particular occupations (Noel, Michael & Levas, 2003; Schlee, Harich, Kiesler & Curren, 2007). " The authors can declare this statement as a fact because it has already been proven by another group of scholars and they can just cite that research. By using different types of evidence throughout the paper, the authors of "Personality Characteristics and Choice of Academic Major: Are traditional stereotypes obsolete?" validate their thesis not only with their own study but with the research of other knowledgable academics. The evidence within research papers also allows for the authors to expand on their thesis. In the case of this research paper, the authors use the findings of their research to advise educators how they can change students' perceptions about specific careers, "Given that many undergraduates do not have an accurate idea about exactly what major they would like to pursue, every effort should be made to inform them about their available choices as early as possible." Thesis statements are important factors in research papers but without good evidence and analysis the paper wouldn't be reliable or very scientific. 

Scientific papers are supposed to be informative and persuasive even if they are boring, and they inform with their evidence, not with their thesis. They persuade with their analysis, not with their thesis. Theses are always going to be important parts of any essays, but the evidence and research is what gives scientific research papers their technical, analytical recognition.