Research

     Any kind of paper can benefit from research and there are many different types of research that are useful and relevant to personal writing.  You have already been doing one kind of research for your family narrative and your reflective essay -- you've been remembering, mining the past for details and stories.  You've been observing yourself and your family for details to include in your essays.  This is research.  But there are other kinds of research you need to know about.  There are interviews, there are surveys and polls.  You can consult reference manuals and journals and magazines.  You can refer to books.  The two types of evidence that exercises 9 and 10 focus on are interviews and on-line sources.