Intro to Research

This module is an overview of the research process and its component tasks.

We've learned about how information is created, shared, and organized, as well as how to use it by learning about information literacy, the information cycle, scholarly communication, and different sources and types of information. In this module, we'll learn about research, that is, how scholars like you use information.

Research is not simply gathering information; research is gathering and synthesizing information, and analyzing it in the context of your research question to solve a problem or reach a conclusion! Many of the components of the research process are things that you do every day; college research just means that you need to use particular resources to satisfy your information needs, and that there are particular techniques and sources that you need to use to meet the assignment requirements.  College research helps you understand how YOU find, use, and create information, that is, that you are not only a consumer of information but also a creator!  

College research is more than just completing your course assignments, however. Learning and practicing research skills in college helps you be aware of your responsibilities as a creator and also helps you be a more educated consumer of information.  It makes you more conscious of how to effectively and ethically use information. 

By the end of this module, you will understand:

• The components of Research Process
• The Research Assignment
• Searching for information
• How to synthesize what you learn
• Why to use information ethically

Concepts from the module

• The Research Process = a recursive cycle in which a scholar: chooses a topic and develops a question or thesis; locates, evaluates, and reads information; synthesizes information and analytically integrates it into an answer or solution; and cites information sources appropriately in their research product.   

Vocabulary from the module

• Analysis =  applying the new understanding that results from synthesis to your research question or problem to develop an answer or resolution
• Citation = the practice of identifying the sources you have quoted, paraphrased, summarized, or otherwise used in your writing
• Citation style = systems of expressing and organizing citations based on the published style guides of organizations such as the MLA or APA; these systems are used to create consistent, predictable, and reliable pointers to information sources
• Instruction words = verbs or action words that tell you what you need to do, the core task of the assignment
• Key concept words = nouns that describe the main topic of the assignment and tell you what you need to research
• Limiters = nouns used in a research assignment that specify a geographical area, time period, or resource type to focus on 
• Perfect Information Source = an element of our wishful imaginations, the perfect article would address every aspect of our research question in exactly the right way to fulfill our information need
• Research =  asking questions, gathering evidence and learning new information, engaging in deep inquiry with the topic, synthesizing and analyzing information and proposing an answer or solution to the research question
• Subtopic = component of the broader topic
• Synthesis =  consider information source idea by idea  and combine with your existing knowledge to develop a new understanding of the topic
• Topic = broad subject within which you will develop a research question or thesis