Research Basics

Few words bring as much dread to students as “research paper.” The comic relates the stress involved.

            The fault comes from lectures of plagiarism, citations, more plagiarism, and finding a requisite number and specific types of sources. Let’s not forget the desperate midnight searches on the internet to find something that can be included into the paper before it’s due at 9:00 am (hence the coffee in panel 3).

            But this doesn’t have to be stressful and fill you with dread. Research is not just for academics. We do research every day without thinking about it: looking something up on a search engine, consulting a dictionary, asking a friend about a good movie, reading product reviews on Amazon. Research is about finding good information and learning.

Your friend’s movie recommendation

            If your friend said the latest action movie was “meh,” would you consider seeing it? You trust your friends, but is she reliable when it comes to action movies? She likes “slash ‘em up” horror movies more than anything, and rarely sees action movies. Maybe she wanted more people to die. Maybe it wasn’t gory enough. You have to question how she evaluated the movie. What criteria did she use?

Amazon product review

Reviews include a star-rating, a snapshot that tells you (relatively) how good the product is. It also tells you how many people have given it reviews. If 500 people average out to a 2-star review, you’re not likely to buy it. However, if those same 500 averaged out to 4.5 stars, you’d really consider buying it. Even 500 reviews have limited value if all they’ve written is “I liked this product.” And they’re anonymous. Can you trust them? What about their criteria?

Hearing from experts

When the people from Consumer Reports Magazine review a product, they will go into detail and talk about the product, and the ways they tested it out (their criteria). It’s literally their job; they have training and lots of experience. But their expertise has to relate, too. A Ph.D. in biology has no expertise in recommending what car to buy. Ask mechanics.

The best research

            Research doesn’t have an easy, silver bullet solution. When you have a large number of experts (in the appropriate field) who use the same criteria all say the same thing, you can rely on the information. Scientists operate this way. One group performs an experiment and publishes their results. Other scientists don’t accept blindly, they question and challenge to see if they get the same result. They do this over and over until they’re convinced that what the first group discovered is factual. They even question their own results when it’s what they want to see. They’re never finished; they’re ready to change their minds when more research changes things.

English classes

            As students, your first exposure to research isn’t in science classes, but in English, which is actually appropriate. Before scientists perform any experiments, they first have to read all the information out there already. They must research what other people write. They ask questions. They learn about the subject until they become experts themselves; they evaluate and challenge what they are reading. After all of that, they write.

             Research is not about finding the answer. It’s about learning enough to become an expert and make a contribution. Maybe you join one side, preferring their answer. Or the opposite side. Or maybe, and this is the best part, you create a new side. No matter what, you’re adding your voice and expertise to the discussion.

Formal research

            This isn’t about research dressed in a tuxedo or ball gown. It’s about the form, the specific shape of how research is presented. Just as those scientists follow the same criteria in their experiments, formal research is a set of standards to follow. By following these standards, you are making a statement to others that your research is quality, your voice is worth listening to, and you have something valid to contribute. This is where styles of citation, quality of sources, and rules regarding plagiarism come in. They can be tedious, but the ensure that your research is quality.