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The Research Process

Writing assignments and preparing for exams isn't just about putting your ideas down on paper. There is a process involved which gets you to:

• Think carefully about exactly what you are being asked to do
• Find information to support what it is you are trying to say
• Formulate ideas and make a plan.

This is generally called the Research Process and involves a number of steps that need to be worked through.

The Research Process - Understanding the Question

When writing an assignment, many students struggle with trying to understand what it is they are actually being asked to do. If you get this right from the beginning, your research and writing will be much more focused.

You may find it helps to:

• Rewrite the topic in your own words. This will help you to better understand what it is that you are being asked to do.
• Identify any words or terms that you do not understand. Use dictionaries, encyclopaedias, your textbooks or course readings to help you clarify these words or terms.
• List any concerns or issues that the question may raise .
• Try and take the question apart. You can do this by breaking the question into manageable pieces and treat each part as a separate question.

When analysing the assignment question, there are three kinds of words you should look for:

• Content words - Highlight the subject matter the assignment should deal with
• Limiting words - Specify the particular aspect of the subject on which the assignment should focus
• Instruction words - Tell you how to approach the topic

Example 1 - Media Arts

Example 2 - Exercise Science

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The Research Process - Developing a Plan

Figure out what kinds of information you need and how much.

• There is a big difference between being asked to write a report of 1000 words, as opposed to an in-depth analysis of 5000 words.

This will impact upon your planning and how much time and effort you put into your work. There is no point spending hours-on-end sweating over a 500 word report worth 5% of your final grade. Save your effort for when it really counts.

• Try looking at the marking schedule. This will give you an indication of what your tutor is looking for and where they are going to be placing their emphasis when marking.

Make sure you plan your time effectively

• Start your assignments as soon as you get them. This will save you a lot of stress and panic later, if you leave starting your assignments to the last minute.

• Locating and retrieving information takes time, as does writing your assignment. Plan your days carefully to include time for research, writing and evaluating your work.

• Don't forget to set aside time for yourself. This helps you to stay relaxed and keep an objective point of view in relation to your work. You may decide to watch your favourite TV programme, go out with friends on a Friday night, or take time out with family.

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The Research Process - Finding Information

When writing an assignment, it is important to back up what you are saying with the work of other people. Your tutors will not be impressed by an essay made up entirely of your own thoughts and words.

Your tutors want to see that you have actually done some research, and found some resources that support what it is you are trying to say.

This involves finding books, magazine articles, statistics, websites, and other resources to support your ideas and arguments.

It may mean you have to go to the library to search through their collection or sit down and use your computer to search online databases and the internet to find resources.

But it's also important to know when to stop! You can waste a lot of time if you're not focussed on finding and getting what you need.

Useful Information Sources

What information sources should you be using? Let's have a quick look at some of the more commonly used ones by students.

Books

• Provide you with an in-depth study on a particular topic.
• There should also be a list of references included in the book, which can often provide you with suggestions for locating further sources of information.
• To find books to support your study, try the WelTec library first. Remember, the books bought by the library have been ordered by your tutors who have identified which materials you will need for your work.

Journals

• Provide you with information that is current, up-to-date and which reflects the latest trends/thinking in your area.
• Are often very focussed on a specific subject and may have been evaluated by a panel of experts before being included in the journal.
• Try our Learning Commons/library collection first, as journals have been specially selected and subscribed to in order to support your study.
• Use a database such as Ebscohost to search for full text journal articles online
• Alot of our journals are available electronically too from the catalogue.

Newspapers

• Published daily or weekly and are the best source of information for events and issues as they happen.

Click here to access the list of newspapers available to WelTec students.

Databases

• Online databases work by grouping together relevant information that you can easily search for. They are great for finding current information in a specific field of study.
• Many provide full text retrieval, which means that you can print out not only the details of the article, but also the article itself.
• WelTec subscribes to a number of key databases, which provide you with free access to thousands of relevant information sources. See the library for details on how to logon to them.

Click here to access the full list of online resources available to WelTec students.

The Internet

• Anything and everything can generally be found on the Internet. Keep in mind that the Internet is largely unedited, so it will require you to evaluate each website carefully before you decide to use it.

Conference Proceedings

• Provide information about the most current research being undertaken or research that has not yet been published. They are also helpful in providing information on which people are currently involved in which research areas.

Theses and Dissertations

• Can be useful sources of information, but the quality of the research may vary, depending upon the expertise of the student who did the research. Theses can be difficult to get hold of.

Videos & DVDs

• Videos can provide students with a visual learning opportunity. The other good thing about videos, is that they are often focused on a particular aspect of study.

The Research Process - Evaluating Each Source

Before using a book, journal article or website in your assignment, you need to evaluate how good it is.

With books and journals, it is safe to assume that they have been through an evaluation process before being published. The Internet is however largely uncensored, meaning that anyone can put anything up there.

To decide if a resource is "credible" you can evaluate it against the following criteria:

Authority

• Who is the author? Are they qualified to write about the topic?

This doesn't mean that the person needs to have a whole bunch of qualifications after their name (although it does help for some subjects), but will depend on whether or not they possess the knowledge to write about their topic.

For example, I would expect that someone who has worked as a personal trainer for 15 years would be qualified to write about exercise programmes.

Accuracy

• Are there any obvious mistakes? These might be factual or spelling mistakes.
• Is the language used appropriate?

For example, if an article you're reading is meant to be an "academic" piece, but is filled with slang, can you really trust it?

• Is the research cited correctly - ie can you actually see or find out where they got their information from? Whose work do they use to back up what they are saying?

Objectivity

• Are the aims of the research clearly stated, with both points of view fairly represented and discussed with a minimum of bias?

For example, an objective article about hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women would need to include both the benefits and dangers linked with taking the recommended drugs.

Coverage

• Is there enough in-depth information, or are topics briefly skimmed over? Does it matter?

Currency

• Is the information current and up to date?

For example: anything written about the latest developments in computing technology would have to be fairly current (no more than a year old), but if you were researching the history of computers, something older would be fine.

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The Research Process - Organise, Write, Present

• Read through your information and organise it logically before you start writing. This will help you to organise your thoughts, allow you to be more focused and make it easier for you to locate specific information when you need it.

• Go back to your original research question and see how your ideas have changed since you began the assignment.

• Begin writing, but remember that this will be a first draft only. You will later revise and edit this. The main focus at this stage is to get your ideas down on paper, not to write word perfect first time.

• Citing your sources is when you write down the details of where you got your information from. It includes details such as the author, the title of the source, date it was published, etc. You should make sure you cite as you write. You will not remember where you got your quotes from at the end of the assignment, so do it as you go.

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The Research Process - Evaluate Your Work

At the end of the research process you need to evaluate what you have come up with so far. Look at your work with a critical eye.

• Did you accomplish what you set out to do?
• Did you do what the assignment asked for?
• Is everything you included relevant?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then hopefully you'll get a great mark. If you're not sure, it often pays to get someone else to cast an eye over your work and see what they say.

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Planning and Time Management

Making effective and efficient use of your time plays a large part in the research process. As mentioned before, planning, finding resources and writing assignments all take time. One of the main problems that students have to deal with, is how to organise their time in order to make the proper commitment to their study.

The basic rules to follow are to:

• Keep a timetable or diary
• Make lists and prioritise
• Identify timewasters

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Priortising Your Activity

Setting Goals

It is worth taking the time to spend a few moments reflecting on what you really want out of your life. It is useful to have a long term aim in mind, but more importantly think about what you really want out of your time here at WelTec:

• A good qualification
• An enjoyable social life
• Or the opportunity to enhance your future prospects?

Setting goals allows you to prioritise and put into perspective what is important. To be a successful student, you must make sure that all your goals are SMART.

S pecific
M easurable
A chievable
R ealistic
T imely

Goal setting is a very personal thing and what you are really trying to answer is: What would it take to make you happy?

With these goals in mind, at the beginning of the year you will need to:

• Brainstorm and write down everything you do in your day-to-day life. Don't forget, to include things such as travel, watching TV, housework and running the kids around.

• Take this list and figure out how long you spend doing each thing. Look for areas you can improve on. So instead of spending 4 hours each night watching TV, try and cut it down (but don't miss your favourite programme if it's on).

• Write up a yearly planner. Remember to:
  • Mark in holiday periods and those days when you won't do any study at all (eg Christmas Day)
  • Write in the appropriate dates for when each piece of assessment is due and when you will have exams
  • Review your year planner frequently! You might do this at the beginning or end of each week, to prepare you for the next week

• Write up a weekly planner, thinking carefully about what is important that you actually get done. Remember to:
  • Fill in your class and tutorial times
  • Bring across any important dates or details written in your year planner
  • Write a list of things to do, which must be completed in the next week

  Prioritise them in order of importance, and block out time in your timetable to tackle each one. As you complete each task, cross them off your list.

  Remember, you may not accomplish everything on your list for the week, and may need to transfer some tasks to the following week.

• In the end, it's all about trying to get into a routine as much as possible, so you won't be thrown by unexpected events.

For a free copy of yearly and weekly planners, visit: http://www.printablecalendar.ca/

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Top Time Management Tips

Make the Most of the Day

Think about what time of the day you find it best to study. Some people are morning people, and others are night owls.

So, if you're most alert in the morning, don't sleep in or hang the washing out, get up and get started on your work.

Remember to use the time you are most alert wisely. Work on the tough stuff first, because it's hard to concentrate when you are feeling tired.

What is Your Attention Span?

Figure out how long you work well for and avoid marathon study sessions.

The attention span for each person varies - some can remain focused for an hour and a half, others for only 20 minutes. If you find yourself staring out the window, or doodling on your book - STOP! Your brain has had enough.

You can try and avoid this by:

• Studying in small chunks and varying what you do. Perhaps work for an hour on one project, then an hour on another

• Take a five minute break every hour. This will refresh your mind and might let you stay more focused on what it is you are trying to do

Get the Environment Right

First of all you need to figure out where you work best. Is it in a quiet place such as the library? Away from family and interrupting flatmates? Or perhaps in your own room with some background music playing to keep you energised?

Wherever your choose, try and make sure:

• you feel comfortable
• in a spot that's relatively quiet, free from distractions
• and well ventilated

Also:

• Get rid of clutter! Try and keep a clean and tidy desk, with only the material that's relevant to the job at hand on your desk
• Remember, you need to be able to concentrate on what you are doing and not wasting time, so make sure you have all the resources you need before you start - items such as books, pens and paper
• Don't forget about your social life and that of your family. Taking time out from your study is important in helping you to remain both physically and mentally fit. It also allows you to put things in perspective and look at things with a more objective eye

Avoid Postponing Important Tasks

Sometimes there are things we just don't want to do. We put them off and avoid doing them like the plague. Don't - because the longer you leave it, the harder it will become.

• Make sure you allow plenty of time for the big, important jobs and start them as soon as you get them
• Use the salami principle - ie break the big jobs down into smaller, more manageable tasks and tackle them one at a time

Avoid Interruptions

Seems self explanatory, but how many times have you just sat down to do your work, and a friend has rung up and invited you out, or stopped by for a nice long chat. Try to be assertive, and explain that you will meet them as soon as you finish your work. Remember - Just say "No", but in a nice way.

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Critical Thinking Skills

By developing good thinking skills and processes, you allow yourself to work smarter not harder. Below are some techniques and strategies to help you accomplish this.

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Key Questions

Whether reading course material, taking notes or planning your assignment, ask yourself key questions, which will help you to focus in on:

• What is important
• What you need to know

Asking yourself key questions helps you to form the basic outline, from which you can analyse your information and give structure to what you write and say.

Remember, you don't have to agree with everything that is being said. Part of asking yourself key questions, is to form your own opinions and finding the reasons for why you believe something.

The Who, What, Where and When questions allow you to gather information and find out facts.

The How and Why questions, require you to understand or explain complex concepts and allows you to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions.

It is important to find out as much impartial and objective information as possible before you answer "Why".

Who ... Who were the main people involved in the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi?

What ... What was the process involved in getting Maori to sign the treaty?

Where ... Where was the Treaty signed?

When ... When did the Treaty first come into effect?

How ... How did the signing of the Treaty effect existing relationships between Maori and Pakeha?

Why ... Why did Maori choose to sign the Treaty of Waitangi?

Active Reading

Reading is one of the main activities you will spend time on whilst studying. What most students worry about is:

• The sheer amount of reading they have to do

• Reading difficult material and not being able to understand it

• Trying to remember what they have read

Reading should be active. It should develop your thoughts, introduce you to new ideas and concepts, and force you to question what you thought you already knew.

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The SQ3R Method

The SQ3R method is designed to encourage the learner to adopt an active and critical approach to any written material. SQ3R stands for the steps involved in actively reading and remembering. These steps are:

S urvey

Start by scanning the whole text. Look at the cover, the contents page, introduction, chapter headings, illustrations, diagrams and index. Read through any chapter conclusions that may be present. Try and "tune in" to what you are about to read.

Q uestion

Before you begin to read, ask yourself questions about the key points found in the headings. For example, the heading "Reading Skills" could lead you to ask "What are reading skills?" Asking questions helps you to focus on the material and to actively search for answers.

R ead

Try and read the text in short bites, at your own speed. Try and answer your questions as you read. If you try to read too much in one go, you won't remember anything that you have read.

Most people can only concentrate for 20 - 30 minutes at a time, so read only one chapter, making precise notes as you go.

R ecall

Try and remember what you have just read. Mindmapping and taking notes is an excellent way to try and reinforce your recall.

R eview

When you have finished reading, skim back over the chapter and your notes and check to see that they are accurate.

Some Further Hints

• Identify the key words which you will use as your search terms to scan the contents page and index with. Do they refer you to a specific chapter or section or page of the book?

• Skim the material to gain a clear idea of what the book, chapter or article is about. Concentrate on main headings and subheadings, as these highlight important information that will be covered.

• Read the introduction, as this will give you an overview of the topic.

Read the first sentence of each paragraph, as this indicates what information is provided in that paragraph.

Read the conclusion or summary of selected chapters, as these will sum up the information provided.

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Taking Notes

Taking notes forces you to think about the ideas in the text as you read them. It allows you to focus in on the main points, and makes recall of the key concepts easier. It also helps to make reading an active process.

It's not what you can memorise that counts, but what you understand.

• If you get an idea from a resource, write it out in your own words. This will help give you a better understanding of what you have just read and a better chance of remembering it

• Don't write in full sentences, keep to keywords and phrases. Brief notes are easier to read, so KISS - keep it short and simple

• Be relevant! Only write down information that directly relates to your studies

• Be accurate! Your notes must report facts, opinions and quotations accurately

• Save yourself time and worry later, by writing down where you got each piece of information from at the time

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Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a good technique for working out what you already know about a topic.

It helps to free up your thinking, giving you a rich source of ideas, which you can use as a starting point for writing your assignments.

Brainstorming also helps to identify where you might have some gaps in your knowledge, so you will know where you will have to spend some extra time finding the right information.

To do a brainstorm:

• Sit down in a quiet place, making sure you have pen and paper

• Write down the topic or issue you have to write about, underlining keywords

• Set yourself a time limit of no more than five minutes, write down as fast as you can, everything that comes to mind when you think about the topic - it might be keywords, facts, figures, dates, word associations, related issues

Don't worry about trying to make sense as you jot down your ideas, all you are trying to do is put all your thoughts and ideas down on paper. Ordering comes later (see mindmapping).

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Mindmapping

"Mindmapping is a graphical way of writing down information. It is a powerful tool when used with brainstorming as its visual nature makes it easy to follow and it can be added to at any time"

A mindmap is like a picture of information. If flows from the main idea to minor ideas using words, symbols, drawings and colour (James and Brooks, 1996, p. 51).

You can use a mind map to help you take notes, revise for exams and for writing assignments.

A mind map is like a spider with many legs. The main idea becomes the body of the spider, with all the ideas that spring from the body, branching off as the legs.

To make a mind map, take the ideas you generated from your brainstorm,

• Think of the main idea (the body) and place it in the middle of your mind map

• Think of the key points or ideas associated with the main idea (the legs). Arrange them logically around your main idea

Although the example below is a very simple one, you can see how it can grow further. For example: off the heading water safety you could also include: "swimming lessons for everyone", "wearing lifejackets on boats", "Fences round swimming pools" etc

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Further Resources

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