Research writing reflection

Meaningful and insightful research conducted at the University of Northern Colorado is more prominent than some may think.

This I discovered while writing for my university research beat as part of my Advanced News and Feature Writing journalism class.

So far, I have written two stories: a day-in-the-life on students and a professor performing chemistry research and a profile on a professor, Mark Riddle, who will publish two articles in "The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis."

The thing I like most about my beat thus far is the understanding I am gaining on the subject of research and how it is conceptualized and enacted. Though not every study is groundbreaking and affecting scientific communities, each instance provides valuable experience for students and professors and could be one step closer to the next major discovery.

However, there is a downside to this equation. It occasionally can be hard to find story ideas on those who are doing research when the majority of the campus is more education-based. Sometimes it's also difficult to understand what these individuals are trying to explain.

I think I'm being descriptive and informational in my story telling, which makes it easier for the reader to comprehend. I also think I am acquiring adequate information. To improve, I think I need to learn to condense my information and perhaps ask more in-depth questions.