Research is a Process
You may have some notion about what you want to study. The first step on the research journey is to move from a general idea to a specific, researchable question.
Assignment Requirements
- Highlight keywords in the assignment. Look for action verbs, lists, and other key words that tell you what the instructor is looking for.
- Why did your instructor give you this assignment? Is it to summarize or describe information? Is it to compare, contrast, interpret, or analyze? Something else?
- Who is the audience? Beyond the instructor, who is the audience for your writing? What expectations would the audience have? What would they know or not know?
- What role are you being asked to take on? Informed expert, advocate, witness?
Your Interests
- Choose something you're interested in. You're going to be spending a lot of time thinking about this topic.
- What insights might you have from your own experience or interest?
- What personal connections do you have?
- What do you want to learn?
Significance
- Why is this worthwhile to study?
- What impact might this have and on whom?
Background Knowledge
The goal of gathering background knowledge is to learn enough about a topic so you can choose one aspect on which to focus for your paper/project.
- What background info, terminology, and concepts are important for understanding the topic?
- What conversations are people having and how might you add to that conversation?
- What sources are cited or referred to?
- How have others addressed similar topics and structured their writing?
Consider using one of the concept mapping tools linked on this page to organize your discoveries.
Your Contribution
As you are discovering background knowledge, try to imagine how your ideas fit into this conversation.
- What do you want to explore more?
- What do you want to become an expert in?
The goal at this point is to learn just enough to ask an intelligent question.
