3.3: Identifying Your Research Need
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- 293137
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Identifying your research need is one of the first steps to doing effective research. Your research need is a specific gap in knowledge or understanding required to address a problem or answer a question. It represents the questions you need to answer to complete an assignment, write a paper, etc. Defining your research need helps clarify your problem and what you need to do. In a classroom, your research need is often defined by your assignment instructions and your own current level of knowledge about the related topic.
Define Your Research Need
To identify your research need, start with the following steps:
- Read over your assignment requirements.
- Choose a research topic that interests you.
- Ask yourself
- What am I trying to learn or demonstrate?
- What problem am I solving?
- What specific questions do I have about this topic?
For example, if you’re assigned a project on climate change, your research need might be to understand the causes and effects of climate change, or it might be to learn about solutions that have been proposed. The more specific you can be with your question, the easier it will be to find useful information.
Once you have considered the questions that you have, you can consider what types of information you need to find first. If you don't have in-depth knowledge of your topic, you may need to start by gathering background information.
Seeking Background Information
It's difficult to conduct more in-depth, detailed research when you don't know much about your topic. Background information helps you to learn general information about your topic, such as its history. This background information will then help you identify related topics that you can use to narrow your topic down. Selecting a more narrow and specific research topic will make the research process easier.
Identifying What to Search For
Your research need will help you identify the information you need to find. Different source formats are useful for finding different types of information:
- Books – Great for broad topics and overviews. Good for historical information, background, or well-established information.
- Websites – Useful for a wide assortment of information, but mostly general information and news. However, you have to be careful to find reliable websites. In particular, websites with URLs ending in .edu or .gov tend to be more trustworthy.
- Academic Journals – Good for scientific studies, new research, or technical information. These articles are often written by experts in the field and are a vital source for research information.
- Newspapers and Magazines – Useful for recent events, opinions, and interviews. Magazines are often easier to read, while newspapers provide up-to-date information.
- Videos, Podcasts, and Documentaries – Good for visual learners or those looking for opinions and interviews. Useful when you want to hear or see information rather than just read it.
When we say “information format,” we mean the form that information comes in, like books, articles, or videos. Choosing the right format depends on your research need:
- If you need an overview or background: Books or reliable websites work well.
- If you need specific, detailed information: Academic articles or primary sources are often best.
- If you need current information: Look for recent news articles.