What’s a student-researcher to do when the “greatest technological innovation in research paper writing since the invention of the note card” bites the dust? Well, when the innovation in question is Mead Builder™ term paper software – and the students in question know the basics of research anyway – perhaps it’s a non-issue.
In terms of total numbers, I suspect very few people are even affected by this “catastrophe.” I know Mead sold at least one copy of Builder – to me – and though I frequently recommended it, I’m fairly certain no one I knew ever bought it. Few customers mean little revenue and even less profitability. So I wasn’t too surprised last month to learn that Mead had pulled the plug: “…further development, versions or releases of Mead Builder are not planned…,” nor would tech support be available after March 31, Mead explained.
RIP, Mead Builder!
Whether you’ve tried Builder (or other term paper software), the product’s demise highlights the importance knowing the basic research process. Variations in its definition abound – and the process is iterative by nature – but Builder defined its steps as follows:
- Plan your schedule
- Establish your topic / thesis
- Gather information and sources
- Organize information
- Create your outline
- Write your paper
- Revise (okay, this one’s mine)
I loved that Builder had been “built” upon this tried-and-true process. And while the software might have streamlined thesis development or note-taking for some students, there’s just no substitute for hard work. Scholar’s Secret can’t make writing a research paper easy, but by teaching the basics, we sure can ease the pain! Contact us anytime for help.