How to Do Academic Research

For many, the thought of doing research for an academic essay or paper may sound daunting, and perhaps even boring. But, on the contrary, academic research can be interesting, even riveting, if you put your heart into it.

Let’s begin with the basic guidelines for starting your research, so your passion for it may grow.

Step 1: Look at the topic as a whole.

a. This means understanding the topic you want to write about.

Step 2: Narrow down your topic.

a. Here you will start to hone in on the point you want to research and make. See this as establishing your thesis statement.

b. You can do this by understanding the question being asked, establishing what you THINK the answer might be, and then figuring out via research whether your assumption was correct or not.

c. The thesis statement will also guide you to what specifically it is that you need to research. Start by combining keywords in the Google Scholar search engine.

• Note: You can use Wikipedia as a jumping-off point to find keywords, terms or ideas, and some initial resources. But Wikipedia is NOT an academic or peer-reviewed source! NEVER use it as a reference in your citations or reference list.

Step 3: Read a lot! 

a. The best way to jump into it is by searching those above-mentioned keywords and reading as much as you can about them. If you're struggling to get through pages and pages of material, use the Ctrl + f (command = f for Apple users) search function to look for keywords within the text. This will allow you to find relevant paragraphs and information that will help you further your understanding of the topic.

b. There are times, however, when all you can find is an abstract or just a few pages of a given source. This can be frustrating, but you can find relevant information, points and arguments about your topic even in these limited sources. Don’t take them for granted! Always scan through them before deciding whether or not they are useful.

Step 4: Make notes as you read.

a. As you’re reading and researching, always make notes of ANY information that you think might be relevant to your research.

b. There are various ways of taking notes, and everyone learns differently, but however you choose to make notes, be sure to always include the source. This is extremely important as it will streamline the process of citing and referencing as you’re writing. Your future self will thank you!

c. Another way to keep track of your research resources is by using an archiving program, such as Zotero. It’s a simple program that you can download for free, in which you can archive all your sources. It saves the dates they were archived and most of the time even provides references of the sources for you.

Step 5: Make your own life easier. 

a. From the moment you start writing your first draft, include some form of citation. The method of doing this is up to you. Some people copy and paste the URL where the citation will be in the final draft, or you can paste the title of the work you’re referencing. Or you can go the extra mile and write out the correct citations in your notes, making the citation process a breeze when you start writing.

Academic research and writing can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be. If you can follow at least some of these steps to streamline your process, then you’ll be able to appreciate everything you read and learn without the distraction of the technical side getting you down. And don't forget to check out our Academic Essay Checklist as well to make things even easier!

Having the opportunity to research, learn and broaden your horizons is a privilege and an adventure, so it’s important that we try to get the most out of the process!

 

 

 

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