I’ve decided to write a research paper. I know what you are thinking.. “But you aren’t in school. Why on earth would you spend the time and energy writing a research paper if you aren’t using it for a grade or a degree”. Here is your answer: to learn.
The Internet is a funny thing. It somehow allows the user to believe they have some sort of inate knowledge that other seem to be lacking, and we are encouraged to spout that knowledge as if it’s our own thoughts and ideas. I don’t want to say there is something wrong with this because I think to an extent there isn’t. People are educating themselves on contemporary issues, which is a good thing. I think the problem comes when we rely solely on the fleeting memes and articles we come accross on social media without figuring out how true they are. I don’t want to be “that guy”. I want to be sure of what I am talking about with real resources to back it. I know I don’t understand economics as well as people who have studied it in school, but I think I can grasp some of the concepts pretty well. Who knows, after getting my masters in biology I may go back and get one in economics too.
Here’s why I’m doing this: I strongly believe raising the minimum wage will help this country. I know many people who disagree with me. I want to really delve into the numbers, look at arguments made by the opposing side, and figure out if I want to maintain my current opinion. Basically I’m looking at economics from a scientific eye. I think it’s appropriate to do this because really all we can do is draw a hypothesis on what we think will happen based on historical fact and past observation, much like you would do in a science paper. Nobody knows what will happen until it actually does, but I think we can make a pretty accurate prediction. I’m sure you will hear about it as I work on it.
