The HCP Research Planning assignment was the first push I received towards specifying my topic and focusing it on current events. Before crafting this assignment, I was unsure of the direction I would approach my HCP topic from. Through it, I learned the importance in brainstorming on a topic before writing as it provided me with an abundance of ideas to expand on. I also learned of the advantages of outlining as it proved to be useful when I had trouble figuring out how where to continue from my first few introductory paragraphs.

I chose to begin the composing process of my HCP by gathering a variety of sources on my topic. This allowed me to read what many scholars had to say and provided me with a sense of guidance when it came to starting my first draft. The image above shows only a few of the numerous sources I gathered in my Notes app along with brief descriptions of what they discussed to make the process of going back to review much easier on myself.

I also pinned the purpose of my essay at the top to remind myself of the goals I had for my paper. Whenever I hit a roadblock or felt myself straying too far off topic, I referenced this pin to help me determine my next step.