Research Skills for Students
What are Research Skills
Research skills are the tools, techniques, and methods you use to find the information you need, critically reviewing your results, analyse data, to answer specific research questions and assignment tasks.
Most people have basic research skills that they may use every day. Every question that you ask Google to solve a problem or answer a question is a form of research skills. Using Google is not enough to meet the research requirements for university study.
Students need research skills to complete assignments, coursework and develop knowledge in their chosen field of study and will develop sophisticated research skills throughout their university career.
Research skills at university mean:
Describing the problem or research question in your own words
Conducting initial research into the subject
Identifying sources of information that may answer your question or solve the problem
Evaluating the quality of the information sources
Analysing the research results
How to use your Research Skills
Students use research skills to sort through the mountain of information available in the university library to identify the detail their need for their assignments and academic success.
Developing research skills is a gradual process that evolves through consistent practice, self-reflection, and valuable feedback from lecturers and tutors.
Here's a breakdown of how research skills can be applied to the research process:
Step 1 - Define the Research Question:
Begin by clearly formulating the research question or problem you aim to address.
Brainstorm topics aligned with the assignment criteria and transform interesting subjects into research questions.
Step 2 – Conduct Preliminary Research:
Undertake preliminary research to better understand the chosen topic. Treat this phase as exploratory, delving into subjects relevant to your research question.
Explore sources to familiarize yourself with the subject, identify key themes, and refine the focus of your research.
Step 3 – Locate Sources:
Identify credible sources to answer to your research question.
Develop a methodical approach to your research inquiry and systematically apply your search strategy.
Adjust your approach based on initial results, ensuring a full understanding of available information.
Step 4 – Evaluate the Quality of Information:
Critically evaluate the quality of each source. Consider factors like the author's credentials, publication date, and whether the information underwent peer review.
Ensure that the sources align with academic standards and contribute substantively to your research.
Step 5 – Create a Critical Analysis of Results:
Organize the information collected and present your results coherently.
Clearly attribute the information, explain its relevance to your research question, and critically evaluate the results.
Avoid copying and aim for a deep understanding, demonstrating your research skills through original analysis.
When to use your Research Skills
Research skills enable people to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information. This makes research skills crucial for academic success.
Research skills help students explore and understand complex topics. As well as develop their own research questions, finding information and gaining a deeper understanding of a subject.
Here are some examples of when you will need to use your research skills:
Define Research Questions:
Articulating clear and focused questions that guide the research process.
Breaking down broader topics into specific, manageable inquiries.
Information Retrieval:
Developing targeted search strategies to efficiently locate information using the library catalogue, databases, and search engines.
Adjusting search parameters based on initial results and research needs using advanced search techniques, Boolean operators and filters.
Source Identification:
Recognizing and selecting relevant sources based on their authority and relevance.
Assessing the credibility and reliability of information sources.
Literature Review:
Conducting comprehensive reviews of existing literature on a particular topic.
Synthesizing information from diverse sources to identify patterns and trends.
Benefits of Research Skills
Research skills are invaluable to university students in various aspects of their academic journey and beyond.
Here are some key benefits:
Academic Success: Effective research skills allow students to find relevant information, support their academic arguments with evidence, and produce well-researched assignments, leading to higher grades.
Critical Thinking: Research involves analyzing and evaluating information critically enabling students to assess the validity of sources and make informed judgments.
Problem-Solving: Students with strong research skills can tackle complex questions or problems, approach challenges systematically and break them down into manageable components.
Information Literacy: Research skills contribute to information literacy, where students become capable of navigating various sources, distinguishing between reliable and unreliable information, and ethically using and citing sources.
Learning Mindset: Research skills cultivate a mindset of continuous learning. Students recognize the importance of staying curious, seeking new knowledge, and adapting to evolving information and research methodologies.
Drawbacks of Research Skills
While research skills offer numerous advantages for university students, it's important to acknowledge potential drawbacks and challenges of applying research skills:
Information Overload: The volume of information available can be overwhelming making it challenging to identify relevant and reliable sources.
Technological Challenges: Navigating digital databases, online libraries, and other research tools can be daunting.
Difficulty in Source Evaluation: some students may struggle with assessing the credibility and reliability of sources.
Balancing Quantity and Quality: Striking a balance between the quantity of sources and the quality of information can be challenging.
Summary
The research process can be overwhelming.
Break down your research process into smaller tasks and set deadlines to stay on task and manage your time.
Keep an open mind and be curious throughout the research process asking questions at every stage.
Continuing to ask questions of the data and published material will help develop your critical thinking skills and help you choose the sources and data most relevant to your research question.
Good research practices mean being able to demonstrate academic integrity throughout your research process.
You can evidence your academic integrity by avoiding plagiarism, accurately cite sources, limit your use of direct quotes, write notes in your own words.
Working to improve your research skills is important, as it affects different aspects of your daily life, from your time in college to your time in the workforce.
