Part III. Research is a Process

Exploring anything takes time, and the amount of time necessary is dependent on the depth of exploration. Consider a kindergarten student learning about trees. Several elements about trees are noticed by simple observation, such as bark, the branches and leaves. Closer inspection may reveal knobby roots at the base, sap dripping from a slight cut, and other less obvious phenomena. That may be the extent of that young child’s understanding of trees, but that is only the foundation for the future study of trees. More advanced students would recognize that there are many different types of trees, and understand the features of each. As the level of depth increases, the exploration becomes more focused, and specific details are analyzed. The research doesn’t stop with understanding what each part of the tree does, but also how and why it grows, responds to environmental changes, and other issues important to healthy tree development.

When researching any topic for a college-level class, instructors expect that students will probe a topic with enough depth that recognizes research was necessary to learn the material. A topic chosen for a research project should be familiar to the point of piquing the student interest to pursue the topic with more depth, addressing probing questions. Understanding the surface-level elements is important, but college-level research is to understand why and how. Research questions that can be answered with brief definitive answers are rarely the focus of in-depth research, however those questions should lead to more probing questions which are addressed by the student in a manner that challenges the student peers to understand the issue.

Many times students want to research a political or societal issue they already have an opinion on, often based on personal values. It is important for research to lead the learner to explore all aspects of an issue. Preconceived ideas lead to biased research with skewed or inaccurate conclusions. While exposing the researcher to evidence and ideas, any ideas conflicting with their personal values need to be put aside, allowing the researcher to share their research objectively.

The research process begins with topic selection and refinement, progresses to development of search statement and search strategy, then location of resources, compilation of information and conclusion. Presenting the information and conclusion follows, when the researcher writes the essay, develops the speech or visual representation of the material. However, the research process is not complete until the researcher shares the material with others.