Doing Research

Everyone has a unique and different technique when tackling research for a particular project or paper. There is a wealth of knowledge out there online and in certain databases. The trick is to find the critical information and then utilize it. When I start research for a paper, I do not just dive on in and start searching for different sources that pertain to my entire subject. Through prewriting, I discover what areas in my paper will need additional information that I do not know already and what parts will need evidence in the form of a source. Prewriting is a big step when doing a research paper. I do not wish to search over a large subject and come up with a million sources, each one as useless to me as the one before it. I like to know exactly what I am looking for in each section of my paper and find a credible source that would fit directly into what I am talking about.
The next step is to find a search engine that will yield the best results and only results that are credible enough to call research. I stay completely away from Wikipedia and Google. Those cites can sometimes spit out good information, but it will take a long time to sift through the useless information and the non-credible sources. Search engines that can be found on the Dayton Library website are the key tools to use. The information found in the library is primarily nonfiction with the exception of just a few publications. The information found in these books and articles should be assumed as being truthful and cite worthy. But, at the same time, a source that was once credible may not be any longer. The date that the book or article was published has a lot to do with its’ credibility. A law book from twenty years ago would be completely outdated in the present day courtroom. So many laws have been changed or added. The same thing applies with publications when doing a research paper. An outdated source can possibly have different information that is no longer true. So the credible sources must also be sifted through to find one that is applicable to the time period.
There are a few things that I think are positive when doing a research paper. I find that with the more research I do on a certain subject, the easier it is to draft. It is like studying for a test in a sense. If one studies well for a test, they will do well. But, if a student doesn’t go to class and they do not study for classes, they will not do well. It is all about preparation. I believe that researching for a paper is a great way to become well versed in the subject matter. In the same breath, there are certain things that I do not like about drafting a research paper. The most common reason that people dread these papers is because of the word “research”. It just brings along with it bad connotations of a lot of work reading publications and finding sources that go with the paper. I do not enjoy going through article after article to find information that I will be able to use in my paper.
Other than that, research papers are not too bad, although I would rather pick another kind of paper to compose.