Inquiry Reflection

 

1.           My topic of inquiry is ocean acidification, because I am very interested in marine wildlife and the protection of the marine environment.  Ocean acidification is a serious problem that will lead to severe issues in the future regarding the survival and diversity of wildlife, and educating oneself on the issue is the first step to overcoming the problem. 

 

2.           To gather relevant, informative, and reliable knowledge about ocean acidification, I used the library webpage to research journals.  I found journals in various styles, including problem statements as well as experiments conducted.  Internet searches allowed me to find educational websites full of facts and information regarding ocean acidification, however these sources were not always as reliable as scientific journals.  The information I found in the journals are useful and credible, especially the journals that included a scientific experiment, because the facts explained were tested and the hypothesis was proved.  The information I gathered from websites is useful because it provides background information for my topic, however it is not always credible.  I found it challenging to gather multiple viewpoints on my topic, because most sources I found were similar in ideas and solutions to the problem in my topic.  Next time, I will gather more sources that are not websites, such as books and documentaries, to ensure reliability and to gather more viewpoints.

 

3.           Common knowledge is information that is mutually known between the reader and the author.  Information that is known by the public and that is included in most sources as background information is common knowledge, and because there is no need to research the information, no citation is needed.  Any previously unknown information that is gathered and used from a source must be cited, because the facts came from a specific place and a different person.  Data from experiments that is used to make conclusions must also be cited, because the data was recorded by another person and it is their work that is being referenced.   To support my own viewpoint on my topic, I first needed reliable information about my topic to produce an informed opinion.  I used credible websites and journals to learn about my topic, and then I created my own viewpoint on the issue.  I cited every source that I used to learn about my topic, and any useful information or data that I gathered from experiments was also cited, because I was used someone else’s conducted experiment for my own personal knowledge.