Research Process

Many students detest being assigned a research project. They fear and dread the task so much that they procrastinate until the last minute, finally starting their research in a completely haphazard and hurried way.

You will be much better off if you approach a research assignment with an overall plan of action. This overall plan we call the research process.

It is often easier to understand a process by looking at a model, such as the one below: eight stages of a process appropriate for most undergraduate research papers. Keep in mind, however, that this is just one model of bibliographic research. Also keep in mind that the model presented here is not meant to be a series of steps that must be rigidly followed.

Begin by examining the steps below, which map out the 8 steps of the research process:

Step 1: Choose a subject or area of interest.

Step 2: Gain a general overview of your subject.

Step 3: Narrow and shape your subject into a specific research question.

Step 4: Decide what type and amount of information is needed and what types of sources might provide that information.

Step 5: Choose appropriate access tools, develop a search strategy for each tool, and conduct a search.

Step 6: Examine the results of your search and select only the most relevant and credible sources.

Step 7: Read, take notes, and evaluate the sources selected in step 6.

Step 8: Revise, refine, and repeat steps 1-7 as needed.

 

Copied with permission from Dennis Wolbers, "Introduction to Information Research", Skyline College, San Bruno CA.