Exploratory Essay Reflection

Exploratory essays are best done when there is little knowledge when it is started.  The purpose is for the reader to essentially learn more about the topic while the author is.  In this case, it was difficult to expand a whole lot because my own knowledge of socialism was already expansive and I had a firm belief already.  However, it was not possible to change topics because socialism was my chosen argument and research topic for the semester.  Moreover, I found it difficult to take in this new information and not be biased in the way I treated it.  I gave all sides credence, and learned as I went nonetheless.

Not only was my own previously learned knowledge a problem, but it was difficult not to turn this exploratory essay into an argumentative one because of my understanding and opinion.  I took the approach of looking at the information from a bystander’s viewpoint, which worked in my favor, although I lacked personal input.  This subtracted a lot from the overall purpose of the essay, which is meant to portray my own thoughts as I went along.  If I was to rewrite an exploratory essay, it would include more of my own opinions, even if they were biased, and I could explain myself better in the context.

Finally, I was proud of myself for the professional and helpful sources I used.  They were all applicable to the subject’s two arguments, and I do believe I did a fine job explaining them.  As with most of my papers, I am not truly sure how much detail to go into for each source, and found it difficult to gauge which sources might need more attention than others.  Furthermore, the citations I did were well done and I was glad to be able to do them by myself without Writing Center aid.

If I was to recap this essay, I would say I spent a lot of time researching and encapsulating all of the sources so that it made sense in the context of my subject.  With this, I would be sure to properly include my own thoughts and provide equal amounts of detail for each source.

Help Received: None; Ryan H. O’Connor 5/4/21