The Research Process

The most difficult thing about writing is having something to say. The research process removes that difficulty. Analyzing, summarizing, and synthesizing sources from books, articles, people, and even online databases are good ways to build critical thinking skills and to discover things to think about.

Give yourself enough time, use the right tools, and you'll be able to tackle any question. You can browse books, textbooks, encyclopedias, or periodicals to come up with a question that will bear an investigation. Don't think, though, that you're bound to give it a definitive answer. Research that documents a truly undeterminable question is as useful as research that settles one.

Begin your research by drafting a schedule, and then check off the portions once you have completed them. You'll not only provide yourself enough time to finish the most taxing portions of your project, but you'll maintain confidence as the deadline nears.

One of the best tools to have is a research log--a diary that keeps track of your thoughts, and the directions they lead you. Note the blind alleys you encounter, as well as the lines of reasoning that seem to be promising. Nothing in the history of science is more common than the stunning discovery that comes from retracing a path to a "wrong turn," and following it a little further than wisdom would prefer.

Assemble your documentation media (index cards, printouts, or disks) that you will use to mark sources and supply data. Use different sizes or colors of cards, or different colors of ink, to distinguish, for example, between historical summaries, background information, hard data, and inferences or conclusions. If you work on a computer, use different fonts to create the same effect.

Field research entails checking the hardware you use for problems, and making sure you have enough backups. Stock extra batteries for tape recorders and video cameras, and always bring at least one more tape than you think you'll need. Take a notebook along, just in case your gear does break down.

Library research requires a search strategy, one that helps you to work in the face of either a deluge or a drought of sources. An expert search involves reading or interviewing an authority, then extracting a guide for your reading either from the person's bibliography or recommendations. A chain search uses bibliographies listed in current articles or references to reach other sources. A layered search involves gathering data from general information sources (specialized dictionaries or encyclopedia references) to narrowly focused sources.

At this stage, you will not be reading extensively. You will only need to skim a source enough to decide whether it's worth including in your working bibliography. A working bibliography is a list of potential sources relevant to your research, and will probably include double the number of sources you'll credit later in your actual bibliography. Each source should get a corresponding record on a bibliography card, or in the file you've established on your computer. Include a short summary of each source's worth, to help guide you as you begin to read in depth.

Once the above preliminaries are over only one stage remains before you begin to write, you need to take notes on the content of your sources. Keep your research log at hand to capture any ideas triggered by the material you encounter, and work in an area with access to a photocopier for readings that can't be distilled onto an index card. Each card you create should have a heading that links it to one of your bibliography cards, the title of your source, a page reference, and a quote, summary, or paraphrase. If your source yields more than one quote on the same topic, number your cards in series. A different topic from the same source begins a new series.

You're still surveying at this point, not reading in depth, so resist the temptation to read books or long articles cover to cover. Use table of contents or indexes to guide you to the most likely location of information. Read in depth only after you've completed all your content notes, then you'll be able to better identify the sections to skim, and the sections to focus on.

Once your notes and readings have been completed it's time to prepare for writing. You can now start to "play" your cards, test out patterns of quotations and try to find an order that will help you write your first draft. As you arrange, you'll find the work you've done with coloring and tagging has paid off, as it will help you reach the next card you need quick enough to preserve your insights and bursts of inspiration.

© 2000-2001 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Pearson Company Distance Learning at Prentice Hall Legal Notice