Welcome to Research!
Look around, and consider the vast amount of information surrounding you. Consider television, there are electronic elements that work together to build a picture, develop quality sound, and receive the signal transmitted from the television station facility. In addition, developing the programs requires a great deal of knowledge about the elements of entertainment, public speaking, journalism, in addition to the information about the material being shared with the public. How did it all develop? Many of the same questions could be asked about elements of cultures, historic events, religious customs, etc.
Exploring and understanding our surroundings is a natural desire. For example, when watching an airplane, are you intrigued about the aeronautical design that enables it to fly? Why do some foods taste great and others are unpalatable, yet foods in both categories are healthy? What makes a strong marital relationship? All of these topics have been addressed with research, which is probing topic(s) for in-depth understanding. However, after the researcher satisfied their own curiosity, was the new information shared?
People naturally want to share what they know and learn. Sharing new knowledge helps solidify the understanding, enhancing the researcher’s grasp of the issue at hand. Formal research projects are usually finalized with a written, oral or artistic presentation. Material learned through less formal research projects are often shared, although in less formal manners, such as casual discussions. Also, many people research issues for practical applications, such as investigating gardening problems and take care of the problem by applying what they learned.
In all of the above situations, the researcher needs to recognize that research is a process that involves several steps. There are also several tools and skills that are necessary to do research that can be verified and shared. Research is not just a theoretical idea, it is a process to develop in-depth understanding of an issue that will be shared with peers, applied to personal or professional concerns, and empower the researcher to contribute to their community.
Do you remember the first meal you prepared? Whether for a relative, friend, or yourself, there were probably some messes or other mishaps (and it may have tasted awful), but you learned. Food and nutrition are a necessity, so you tried again and probably improved with each effort. Research is a process that must be experienced to learn, and there will be some challenges as you expand your knowledge. Research is like cooking, and as you make various dishes, and expand your repertoire, you become more comfortable trying new dishes that require new skills. As your cooking skills develop and you can make more complex recipes at each level of learning. In the same manner, continue to develop research skills for more advanced research.
Resources, such as library databases and the Internet are the tools used in research. Some are complex, others are simple and user-friendly. Many of these tools may be familiar to you, but you may need additional guidance and practice. Consider your first time in a mechanic’s garage or a woodworker’s shop…there are tools everywhere, and you may recognize them. There are some tools that you’ve used since childhood, and others for skilled craftsman. You are going to learn to use the advanced research tools of research, and it takes practice and guidance to learn to use them efficiently and effectively.
In higher education, most instructors recognize that students have done research in previous educational endeavors, however the higher standards often confuse the students exploring a new topic. One of those confusing issues is that information types are not determined by their location or delivery mechanism, but rather the publication format. For example, a magazine is always a magazine, whether accessed online as a website, an electronic database subscription, or in print. Many researchers use the Internet for their research, and use websites for their sources, but a website is simply the delivery mechanism.
Another confusing idea is that there are several different types of information. Primary sources are original creative works (literature, music, drama, etc.) or the result of gathering original data from experiments, assessments, and other primary research studies. Most primary research is performed and published by graduate students, faculty and professionals in a given discipline. Secondary research gathers information from primary sources to develop an idea and verify results from various researchers. Most undergraduate students perform secondary research for their college-level courses. Tertiary research is developed by compiling information from secondary and other tertiary sources, and is the type of research performed by most secondary students.
This book will present issues dealing with information access and control and help you develop skills necessary for secondary research. Researchers will be guided through the process, which includes seven steps.
- Select a topic
- Preliminary research
- Gather information from several sources
- Sort and compile information/evidence to develop a thesis and conclusion
- Compose ideas/develop presentation
- Verify references, proofread, edit and revise
- Submit/share presentation
Many researchers focus on gathering information and developing the essay/presentation, yet skip the preliminary research step. Others expect to be able to develop the presentation in the first draft, without revision. Yet, each of these steps are important for a well-developed research project, especially with the advanced sources required of college-level research.
The book is presented in four sections. Part I focuses on how and why information is developed and controlled. Part II discusses the research process, step by step. Part III presents the skills and tools researchers need to perform well-developed research projects. Part IV guides the researcher to many resources, while highlighting their attributes. Researchers may decide to work through the text, or refer to specific sections, as needed. However, all the material presented works together to help researchers understand and perform the research process.
