How we are approaching the process of researching, especially finding information on a topic, will impact the actions we take and the end result of our efforts. Just as being rushed or our emotional state while cooking can impact the end results of the meal we produce.
In seeking out information on our topic, we are best situated if we approach the process as open and flexible as we can be and if we are genuinely willing to learn from the information we discover for ourselves. As we embark on the discovery of information and throughout the process we should check-in with ourselves to ensure that we have not prematurely closed ourselves off to learning:
To start your research process you will need to pick a direction, considering what your topic will be. While your
topic will eventually evolve into a thesis statement used in your writing, it is easier to research a topic if it is framed as a question. Beginning with a question sets you up for exploration and helps you identify what to prioritize within the larger topic. Statements implicate the mindset that you already have the answers, and at the beginning of the research process that is the opposite of what you want. A guiding research question will undoubtedly lead to further questions. And your curiosity and questioning will energize the research process.
Another component to consider at the outset of the research process is the types of sources you want to find. You will need to find and be able to use the appropriate sources for your project. Having some sense of your purpose as you begin to search for information will help you filter and process what you find in a way that's most appropriate for you.
One way of categorizing information resources that is particularly important in academia: scholarly and non-scholarly.
Scholarly: These sources are written by and for scholars, i.e. experts and researchers in a field. The highest level of trustworthiness for most academic subjects is found in scholarly sources.
Non-Scholarly: These are popular resources crafted for consumption by a large general audience.
A subset of scholarly resources falls under the category of peer-reviewed.This means that a panel of peers — other experts in the field — review an author's paper to decide if it is worth publishing. If the reviewers decide that the author has done good work and that the paper advances the knowledge of the field, they sign off on the paper. (Often they ask for revisions first.)
Another important consideration involves recognizing that discoveries and perspectives are part of a lineage of learning. Seminal works are foundational resources from which an idea evolved. They instigate shifts in disciplinary conversations and change perspectives. A good way to know if a work is foundational is by seeing how frequently it has been cited by other authors. If everybody cites this work than it is likely a seminal work.
Seminal pieces are frequently older. They don't represent where the scholarly conversation has led, but more so where the dialogue may have significantly changed. Current sources balance your research by engaging with the up-to-date information on a topic. Well rounded research points to the seminal works and digs into the way that the subject has developed into the present moment.
Observational sources represent first hand experiences. They are often referred to as primary sources. Primary sources could be a photo, interview, diary, or other artifact.
Secondary or reflective sources are generated in response to the observations made by primary sources. A scholarly article about a historical event, a documentary, or an analysis paper comparing research methods used in two different studies are all examples of secondary sources.
Observational sources and reflective sources can come in many different types depending on the discipline(s) they are tied to.
Each discipline has their own specific conventions. These practices include preferred citation style and format, standards for research methods, and systems for vetting sources in their field. Differences can easily become more complicated when researchers bridge disciplines. Interdisciplinary works bring two unique research fields into conversation, breaking down silos of research. Both disciplinary and interdisciplinary resources are valuable; however, it is important to keep in mind which research fields are being represented in your sources. Assumptions about the disciplinary background of a source can lead to misinterpretation.
More about disciplines to come...
At the end of the day you want all your sources to be credible. Sources that are credible contain reliable, trustworthy information and are created by individuals who possess relevant credentials. Keep in mind the reliability and relevance of the information in your sources is not universal or predetermined. Your particular context for using the information informs the value that the information sources bring to your research and shapes your outputs.
Google is a search engine that casts a very broad net based on search algorithms interpreting what you type into the search box (keywords). The results are usually expansive and include a mixture of commercial products and services, alongside webpages for organizations and interest groups, and recent events or opinions published on the internet. While there may be content that you need to find on Google, you have the least control and ability to filter your results on this search engine and should therefore use it in conjunction with other research tools.
Google Scholar is a search engine with additional parameters and filters automatically applied to it. While you will generally find much fewer commercial products/services and fewer websites for groups or organizations, there is no guarantee that the results in Google Scholar have been intentionally vetted for quality or accuracy. You may however find excellent research and scholarship that has been published into Open Access repositories at various universities and institutes around the world. It is a worthwhile research tool to consider as part of your exploration.
Library databases are intentionally curated collections of information from known publishers and producers of research and scholarship. These collections are also organized and described (metadata) in ways that make it possible for you to have greater control in searching and filtering your results. Some databases are very focused on the research and scholarship of a particular discipline while others are more interdisciplinary and include research from many perspectives.
Once you are past your very preliminary reading on a topic, Library databases are a good next step in your exploration in order to start learning what is the foundational and current state of research on your topic.
ChatGPT and other similar tools are becoming default information finding tools for many people. These tools can seem as expansive as search engines and as filtering as library databases without the burden of having to make a lot of choices. They are particularly beloved for their ability to synthesize lots of information sources into plain language summaries.
However, one important consideration when using LLMs for discovering information about a topic is that the results are "highly processed" in the sense that the inputs of information sources, while numerous, are still limited by licenses and access limitations for the companies that produce and mange the LLMs; also the coding that allows the tools to find patterns in language and produce those summaries are machine enacted and not checked for accuracy by a human with subject expertise. These automated processes allow for massive scales of data analysis and a smooth end-user experience, but they also allow for hallucinations, bias, and inaccuracies in the results.
In the past two decades, the discussion of information shared on social media platforms in comparison with mainstream media outlets and traditional publication spaces has raised valid questions about the valuing of some perspectives, voices, and stories over those of others, with particular concern that marginalized voices may be better represented in social media platforms than in larger, institutionalized, formal publications. For this reason, it is not uncommon that people may turn to social media for discovering information, especially current information and explanations of processes. For instance, learners may turn to YouTube or Instagram find vlogs that connect to their lived experience. Similarly, people used to look to Twitter for contemporary commentary on current events or even civilian reporting from the scene.
As with any widely sourced and uncontrolled information platform, it is important to be considering your purpose in searching for information in these platforms. Reflecting on whether you already have knowledge that allows you to discern the accuracy, world view, and priorities of the information you find on social media platforms can help you make choices about where this kind of searching fits into your research process.
Researching, just like writing is an iterative process, meaning it is continually being revisited and improved upon. The processes parallel one another. You may discover information in the research process that redirects you or changes what you thought was going to be the answer to your research question. This is the uncomfortable and time consuming reality of research. Research will require you to revise or reassess. Follow where the research leads!
The way you incorporate your sources into your writing will signal for the reader whether your really know your topic. Writing invites others into the research process with you and is a direct reflection of how thoroughly you researched. Writing is where you can depict the shifts in scholarly conversations around the topic, connect to adjacent sources that cross disciplinary borders, and reveal gaps in the scholarship. The more robust your research process, the more credible your writing will seem to your readers. Careful and intentional research will set you up for success in communicating your expertise of your research topic.
The main location where writing signals research is in the citations. What do your citation say about you? Are you credible? Have you been open and evaluative in your collection of sources? Citations are more than just signs that you didn't plagiarize; they indicate the author's engagement with a source and understanding of the conversations around their topic. Citations map out how larger scholarly conversations evolve.