This Instructable shows how to find research and information for writing a paper without wasting time and without struggling to force sorta-kinda-related research into your paper. There is some time and effort necessary, but putting in the little bit of effort at the start will make your life a whole lot easier and will save A LOT of time and effort in the end. Finding research and searching for information is most certainly a skill - don't be fooled. By following this process, not only will you be able to find the research that you need for your paper, but you will also be able to write your paper more easily and with greater confidence which will make for a better paper. Reading through this Instructable may be helpful to high school students, undergrads, and potentially first year grad students since this was a skill I honed during my first year of grad. Developing and practicing this skill as early as possible in life will make you a better student and more than likely a better citizen since this skill spills over into other aspects in life beyond just school work.
- Prepare: Initial idea for research, creating initial questions to answer in the paper, and starting a research journal
- Determine Keywords: Using broad searches and generalized information to develop search keywords
- Find the Granddaddy of the Field: Finding the base to build the research upon
- Find and Understand Your Research Base
- Find Researchers Who've Cited the Granddaddy Authors
- Reevaluate Your Questions and Start Writing
- The Process Is NOT Linear
Approximately half of the time between the assignment and the due date should be spent on researching the paper, and the other half should be spent on writing it. If you are conducting an experiment or a study, you must allot time for that as well.
Note: If you want to discuss the subject I'm using as an example, please talk to me via pm rather than through a comment on this Instructable. I'm more than happy to answer any questions.