The research process requires your powers of patience, flexibility, and curiosity!
While there are clear steps to follow while writing a research paper, conducting research for the effective use of information usually follows both a linear and cyclical process. If you are willing to be flexible, experience some trial and error, and take your time in an organized method, you will surely succeed!
You need the power of curiosity to select a research topic, formulate research questions, and persevere through your project or paper. Interest in your topic will help you maintain focus and commitment. Even if you have a topic assigned by your instructor, you still need to find an area that you want to explore within that topic. Asking open-ended questions will help you if you have to select a topic, focus a broad topic or respond to an instructor-assigned topic.
The above graphic illustrates a possible research process.
You experience this process often without being aware of the stages or having a name for each stage. It's not always a linear path, as you may go back to previous tasks. You start with a research question, but as you learn more, your topic may undergo some change. You might modify your perspective and become more interested in related topics, leading you to different information sources. As you write, you might rely more on some articles and discard others. As you reread your writing, you will discover areas for revision.
When you receive your assignment, you read through the instructions, paying attention to important details and deadlines. You will look at any provided rubric to be sure that you understand the expectations of the assignment.
Next, informally think about your planned discussion. Write down some initial thoughts or create a rough outline. You might even create a mind map. This stage helps you move from confusion to clarity but doesn't have to be overly organized or structured. You are just getting your thoughts on paper.
This next step consists of three activities you might do more than once before moving on.
Conduct searches for articles and information to support your research topic. Do background research to learn more, if the topic is unfamiliar to you.
Collect your information in an organized manner through email, your cloud drive, a flash drive, pasting citations into a document, adding articles to your library database folder, or making notes on paper. However you collect these pieces of information, make sure you know where the information came from and can return back to it if necessary.
Take notes on how this information relates to your overall assignment and discussion. If you started an outline, indicate where you will use the information within that structure.
If started an outline in stage 1 or 2, add more information and detail to your outline at this point. Include passages you plan to quote, paraphrase, or summarize along with the source information. If you have not started an outline, do so now, providing details of your topic, introduction, body paragraphs, and the relevancy of your information sources within the outline.
This last stage consists of 3 tasks you might repeat.
At the end of this process, you are ready to submit your paper! Following an organized path of research and writing leads to a greater end result.
Unless otherwise indicated, images are courtesy of Adobe Stock and Pexels.com. "The Research Cycle" image was created using Canva by Kristen Cook, MCC Library.
