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Research skills What is Research? Before learning how to determine your research needs, let’s first define exactly what research is. Research is the investigation of a particular topic using a variety of reliable, scholarly resources. The three major goals of research are establishing facts, analyzing information, and reaching new conclusions. The three main acts of doing research are searching for, reviewing, and evaluating information. Learning what research is not may help you fully grasp the concept. Randomly selecting books from the library is not research, nor is surfing the Internet. On the contrary, research requires organization, resourcefulness, reflection, synthesis, and above all, time. Now that you know what research is, let’s define the research process. What is the Research Process? The research process is the methodical approach to finding and examining a variety of reliable, scholarly resources on a particular topic. The research process has a beginning and an end, with many stages or steps in between. Each one of these steps is built upon the foundation of information. Brainstorming ideas, searching for resources, and analyzing ideas are all information-based activities. Just like DNA is the building blocks of life, information is the building blocks of the research process. That’s why learning how to find, evaluate, and use information is essential to successfully engaging in and completing the research process. 1.What type of assignment, e.g., a book review, research paper, or presentation, has my professor assigned? 2.How many resources does my professor require, what should they cover, and what is their minimum length? 3.Does my professor require me to find information published during a certain period of time? 4.Does my professor require me to use a specific type of publication, such as a peer reviewed journal, reference book, or newspaper? 5.Does my professor require me to use published materials, primary sources, or a combination of both? 6.Does my professor require me to find resources in a particular format, such as a film, website, or CD? 7.Does my professor require me to take a stance, make an argument, or address a controversial issue? Evaluating Books & Articles 1.Is the resource relevant to your research topic? 2.Does the resource provide an overview of its subject, explore it in depth, or focus on only one aspect of the subject? 3.Does the resource support or refute an argument, present survey results, cite examples, include primary sources, or cite case studies? 4.Is the resource well-researched and supported by evidence? 5.Does the resource update other sources, substantiate other sources that you have consulted, or add new information? 1.Does the author cite his or her information? Does the author cite information gleaned from other resources using in-text citations? Are the sources credible? Are the citations clear and consistent? Be suspicious of resources that do not include citations within the body of the work. 2.Does the author include a bibliography? Does the author include a list of works cited or bibliography? Does the bibliography reflect a comprehensive overview of published works on the subject? Are the citations clear and consistent? Bibliographies authenticate information contained in the resource. Be suspicious of resources that do not conclude with a bibliography. 3.Did the author use reliable sources? Did the author use primary or secondary sources, or a combination of both? Did the author consult a variety of scholarly resources to support his or her arguments? Did the author use the latest information available? 1.Is the review published in a scholarly journal or reliable resource? Be suspicious of reviews published in non-scholarly sources. 2.Is the reviewer an expert in the field? 3.What are the reviewer’s comments about the author and subject of the work? 4.Is the work considered a valuable contribution to the field? 5.Do reviewers agree about the value of the work, or is there a lack of consensus? If so, try to find at least three reviews. 6.Does the reviewer mention other, more reliable sources? If so, look them up to get more and perhaps better information about your topic. http://www.qureshiuniversity.com/research.html