ABSTRACT
When students hear the word "research" they associate it with the tedious, boring process of gathering and reporting on collected facts. And, indeed, the base of all research is fact-finding. But fact-finding is no longer enough in the data-rich society we live in. Instead, we want assignments where students do something with their facts. Students need to make meaning of their facts—they need to draw conclusions, argue points, prove ideas, and produce solutions. When students have a voice in which direction they will explore, they will pick subjects that interest them, which will encourage them to work through the harder parts of research. In the Renaissance project, a student who struggled with drug abuse was interested in the role apothecaries played in addiction. Personal research is often used interchangeably for "looking stuff up." But academic research is different, and teachers need to remind students of that in our language and approach.
