Research Tips and Reminders!

Welcome, My Little Pop Tarts to the beautiful, yet maddening world of research!

Here are some reminders to help guide you as you make your way into this labyrinth..

1. Research is where the learning is now designed to occur. This is WHY it will be the staple in your classes/courses from this point forward. It demands you synthesize information. Remember, what you have been taught in this class, "The product is for the teacher/professor... the process is for the student" .  Embrace this. If you think that research is 'hide and seek', you will be missing the purpose of research and often will be missing the research itself.

2. Do not look for your thesis/ when you research. Your thesis/claim is the conclusion, or the top of the ladder. You are looking for the rungs that lead you to the top.

3. Research will have a dual purpose for you for a while: A) Gather knowledge B) Secondary support for your argument. Know the difference in purpose in the sources you are gathering.  Both will have to be cited.

4. When researching  you will have to implement the ability to think abstractly at your argument before it is made concrete.  What can help you is the "filing system". When you are writing an argument about Homeland Security, what other "file cabinets" may that topic be found? Immigration? Patriotism? Religion? Travel? Education? What about healthcare? Having the ability to have a 'shot gun' approach to research will help you broaden your perspectives.

5. This level of research (and beyond) is not a REPORT. Say that with me: "Researching no longer leads to a report". The shift in product demands a shift in approach to research. You are not reporting on the major exports of China. This is easy research. You are now researching the impact of technological exports of China on its agricultural importing. (Much different approach, huh? Think Bloom's)

6. Look to the BIBLIOGRAPHIES of the EXPERTS on the TOPIC! Once you find a fabulous source... look to their sources!

7. Remember your research QUESTION... your thesis/claim may become compromised as you research..  Researching can be a never ending process.. keep focused.

8. Set an end date on researching... meaning.. "I will be done with researching on this date".

9. To break down research, look at your thesis/claim in sections. You should have a broken down topic (do you need to address anything larger? anything smaller?). You have a distinct argument (What is the opposite side? What are the reasons for your argument? Data? Statistics? Reasons?) You have a blueprint? (This direction in itself can often give you a new framework to look at your topic, so look at it in isolation, too).

10. Remember: 2 things. Audience awareness. Cite everything that is not your original idea.