I would like to know what in the heck is going on with research at the undergraduate level?! When did opinion count as substantive research? I am trying to understand if this is due to reading the papers, online communication, or something more going on in the educational system.

I've met with lots of students in the last two days--primarily students in lower division courses and by and large many do not know how to differentiate (yet) between opinion and doing research, then integrating the research into the paper. And, the next step would be analysis of the research, right?! Maybe I am venting and professors have been making this complaint for generations!