How shall I conduct my research? My research processes starts with drawing a clear understanding of what the assignment at hand is. I have found that realizing what the assignment is asking for truly makes research easier and more efficient. I usually begin with a simple google search, in which I merely type out the subject or the topic of the specific research. From there, I surf the web in order to find the most accurate and relevant sources mostly through the search engine google or through hyperlinks found in other sources. However, at times there are not many relevant sources found on the internet in which I turn to the library. The library has a database website that one can use their search engine to find relevant online articles or a corresponding book, journal, or magazine.
Credibility is the most essential aspect of my research process. Within reading the article BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-Based Writing, in my english class, it opened my eyes to more than just the sources needed to generally prove one’s argument. In BEAM, author Joseph Bizup asserts that there is more to research than just citing an article to support one’s argument. BEAM itself is an acronym for background, exhibits, arguments, and methods where each are different categories of implementing research in an assignment. Background is merely facts, exhibits are simply anecdotes, arguments is what traditionally is referred to as a source in research to prove a claim, and methods are different lenses to interpret a situation or information. Within reading this article, it made me realize the different avenues of implementing research that I had no idea was a way to use in my writing. BEAM reminds me of ethos, pathos, logos, and how one can implement those techniques in their writing to make it more effective and I will for sure use it for my research in this class and other classes going forward.