Out of all of the things that we have learned this year in CTW, the hardest one has been researching. I know how to research (I think anyone with a web browser will say the same) but they are in no way the same.
The way I see it, there are two main ways of researching:
- Quick, general searching. This method is used most often on Google, Yahoo, or Safari and it is generally used when the person searching does not have exact information that they are looking for. This wouldn’t be as helpful for research papers because the information that pops up is not specific or detailed enough for in-depth writing.
- Advanced searching. The person searching must know how to use the advanced search engine to get the results that they are looking for. This type of research is perfect for researched arguments because the writer can specify and narrow the information that pops up to include only works that support or contrast the argument.
I believe I’m pretty adept at the first form. I’ve been doing it since I first was allowed internet access and as I started taking English classes and started being assigned projects and reports, the skills that I had formed so naturally became stronger and stronger. Without Google, I probably would have flunked out of high school.
The second form, though, I’ve never been very knowledgeable about. My freshman year of high school, we were given a brief, half an hour, lesson on using the school’s databases. The majority of the talk, though, was understanding how to log in and preaching about the sinfulness of plagiarism.
Now that Gail has come to the rescue, I know how to use the advanced search engine. I am in no way an expert, but if I understand the topic that I am writing on, I can find several good sources that fit in with my argument.
Really, that’s all I’m asking for. As I’m not a professor or a Ph.D. candidate, I’ll leave the advanced techniques to the pros and wait until the time where the skills are necessary.