2. Topics
b. Basic Tips
The word "research" is used to describe a number of similar and often overlapping activities involving a search for information. For example, each of the following activities involves such a search; but the differences are significant and worth examining.
In light of the diversity with which the concept "research" is
viewed, here are some guidelines to keep in mind before you start on a class
research project: 1. Understand the assignment. Don't risk selecting
inappropriate materials or addressing irrelevant issues. No matter how well you
write or speak, this will usually result in poor work. If necessary, discuss the
assignment with your instructor. 2. Select a topic that interests you. Personal interest
makes research more enjoyable and any presentation of the findings more
enjoyable for its audience. 3. If possible, select a topic you are already researching
for another project. This may not only save you some time but allow you to
explore different facets of the same topic and build a deeper understanding. 4. Select a topic that is not likely to be chosen by others.
Imagine a course instructor reading a dozen papers on the same two or three
topics. Finding an original topic or perspective is likely to be looked upon
favorably (but see #1 above.)
Research type
Essential characteristics
1. Find the population of
each country in Africa or the total (in dollars) of Japanese investment
in the U.S. in 2002.
A search for individual facts or
data. May be part of the search for the solution to a larger
problem or simply the answer to a bar bet. Concerned with facts
rather than knowledge or analysis and answers can
normally be found in a single source.
2.
Find out what is known generally about a fairly
specific topic. "What is the history of the Internet?
A report or review,
not designed to create new information or insight but to collate and
synthesize existing information. A summary of the past. Answers
can typically be found in a selection of books, articles, and Web sites.
[Note: gathering this information may often include activities
like #1 above.]
3.
Gather evidence to determine whether
gang violence is directly related to playing violent video
games.
Gathering and analyzing a body of
information or data and extracting new meaning from it
or developing unique solutions to problems or cases.
This is "real" research and requires an open-ended question for which
there is no ready answer.
[Note: this will always include #2 above and usually #1. It may
also involve gathering new data through experiments, surveys, or other
techniques.]
Self-Test |
ARCC ILT
© 2013
Anoka Ramsey Community College Library
Information Literacy Tutorial
Send comments or questions regarding this site to:
Barbara Sandarin, Librarian/Faculty