Welcome back to the Cole Library Instructional Video Series!

This video will show you a framework for applying your analytical skills to the research process. The Research Process, also known as Literature Research, in our case refers to finding prior work on a topic or question. Understanding all the steps of the process before you begin will enable you spend your time more efficiently.

As an overview, the steps of the research process are:

• Setting up a storage system
• Using information ethically
• Defining what you need
• Developing a strategy for exploration
• Exploring and finding the information
• Evaluating the information you find
• Determining when to switch emphasis from researching to writing
• Writing the paper

Now let’s talk about the research process in more detail:

I’ll start with an all-encompassing element that enables the logistical functioning of the research process. That is setting up a storage system to track your progress and retrieve your results. In it, you will need to record several things such as: a mind map to make sure you capture all the points that will answer the questions in your assignment, your search strategies, so that you don’t duplicate effort by repeating searches you’ve already done, and the information and citation data that you find.

The second element that is intertwined with the entire research process is accessing and using information legally and ethically. Understanding issues such as legal access to resources, fair use of copyrighted material, and proper attribution of others’ work will inform your decisions throughout the research process. It will then be easier for you to make sure the reader can distinguish your original work from the words and ideas of others and keep your work in compliance with Rensselaer’s Academic Integrity policy.

For each project, you begin by defining what you need. This will save you time and will focus your effort. Before you dive into a search, be sure you understand the assignment’s questions and its specifications for length, depth, and citation style given by your professor.

The next step is to develop your strategy for exploration. You begin by thinking of the assignment’s questions creatively and jotting down your ideas in a mind map. Then prioritize key terms, source types and time allotment.

It’s important to start early! Often you will find that refining your search, getting just the right sources, and editing and revising your written drafts can be more time-consuming than you may have anticipated. Electronic resources have certainly removed much of the tedious clerical work from the research process. Unfortunately, they do not make research “instant,” so be sure to allocate reasonable time to choose the most relevant information for your assignment. That is why I suggest that you plan backward from the due date to determine the amount of time you can give yourself for exploration and writing. Generously estimating this time can save you sleepless nights as the due date draws near.

Now that you have a storage system, know what you need, and have a plan for finding it, it’s time to explore and get the information you need using the library’s print and electronic resources and the wider Internet. Be sure to capture the information and citation data and in your storage system. As you continue controlled exploration, you’ll find yourself evaluating of the information for its quality and usefulness as you go.

This brings us to the next step, evaluating the information that you’ve found. This entails looking at a source critically to determine its suitability for your assignment, the reliability of its author or sponsoring organization, and its timeliness.

When you feel that you have enough information, you can ask yourself whether it’s time to switch emphasis from researching to writing. To make this decision, check the assignment specifications:

• Do you have the right information to answer all the questions?
• Do you have enough information to fulfill the length and depth?
• Do you need to trim excess?

If you decide that it’s time to start writing, then go for it, otherwise you will need to find more information or revise your strategy.

As you write your paper, you’ll be extracting the information and the citation data from your storage system as you need it.

When you use the research process for your assignments, you’ll notice that it becomes a repeating, but narrowing cycle as you discover different approaches to your questions, focus your ideas or determine a need for more information. Often, the process of writing itself will raise even more specific questions that you will answer using another reiteration of the research process and then include this new data in your work.

Remember that the Cole Library’s staff will be happy to help you with any questions you may have along the way.

In this video, you were introduced to the research process, which includes: Setting up a storage system, using the information ethically, defining what you need, strategizing, exploring, finding, evaluating, and using information to write your paper.

So long for now, I’m looking forward to speaking with you again in our other videos!