Why is research important?
Critical Thinking combined with Information/Research Skills enables you to find, evaluate and use information in an academic and ethical way. These skills, when mastered, assist you in conducting research, finding great sources and organizing your information in a way that makes sense to your reader/audience while giving credit to the cycle of scholarly information. This Research Process assists us in mastering our objectives:
- Determine an appropriate scope of investigation by limiting that scope and using various research methods to assist in your inquiry;
- Matching your information need to the scope of your investigation by using specific resources and the research process
Tangibles: Focused Topic, Effective Keywords, Depth/Breadth of Resources from Internet and Online Databases; Proper Citations
Based on this TedTalk, the 5 points of critical thinking coincide nicely with the research process including the types of information you need to research and write an academic paper:
- Formulate your question;
- Gather your information;
- Apply the information;
- Consider the implications;
- Explore other points of view.
A well-researched paper should include relevant information from a variety of sources such as:
- Newspapers;
- Magazines:
- Journals;
- Books and Subject-Specific Encyclopedias;
- the Internet
A good rule is to blend information from all 5 of these sources through quotes, summaries and paraphrases and explaining the importance of your source as it relates to your thesis or central idea to your audience.