Almost every student is familiar with the significance of online research before working on projects. There is no need to specify that you can’t deliver a complete project or write-up without thorough research.
Previously, the concept of research work was based on books, journals, and theses. Considering the internet as a huge source of information, the research trends have now shifted to the online mode.
Now, the question is, how do you conduct online research promptly to gather information for a project? We are going to shed light on the ways to improve your online research in this article. But before that, let’s briefly understand the need for research.
Why Is Research Necessary?
Academic projects require you to put forth arguments and facts backed by authentic sources. Even if you possess deep knowledge of the subject matter, the pool of information is vast, and it is impossible to know everything.
Your research clarifies what information is available, how much of it has been used widely, and what you can use to make your paper more authoritative. In fact, academic projects necessitate you to include research citations to make your ideas and standpoint more reliable.
How Should You Carry Out Online Research?
Be Clear About Your Vision
As you start collecting information for your research work, make sure that you don’t collect abrupt information. You’ll find tons of study materials on the internet that are related to your target niche or topic.
If you start studying all those sources, you will end up being confused. Instead, you need to emphasize your objectives before initiating online research. It’s better if you set a clear vision about the pieces of information you’re seeking.
Verification Is a Mandate
As you’re preparing an academic project for educational purposes, be sure that you have included verified information in your essay or paper. Not all the information sources on the web are valid and reliable. So, you should cross-check the authenticity of a piece of information from different sources before including it in your work.
Quality vs. Quantity
The scopes of introspection become limited when you focus on the quantity of the sources. Sure this way, you can gather more information and stuff it in your article. But looking for quality sources allows you to analyze every piece of information you come across and come up with stronger arguments.
Naturally, when choosing qualitative vs quantitative, the former should be your preference (unless for an information-centric project that demands information in a greater numeric value).
Follow the Footsteps
While conducting online research for educational objectives, you should look up to the researchers who have already worked on your niche.
Analyze their approaches toward answering the questions you want to answer in your project. Examine the factors they focused on to have a clearer picture of your project structure to accomplish the goal of your academic project.
Bibliographies Can Straighten Your Track
It’s common to feel puzzled while studying multiple resources and study materials for accurate information. In such a scenario, check out the bibliography section of every source you visit. This is a great way to set your track in the correct direction. The bibliographic sources might enlighten you more about the topic you’re working on.
Inclusion of Verified Statistics and Quotations
While drafting a cause and effect essay, you can’t help but add verified stats and quotations. The requirements for these information pieces can’t be overlooked in any type of academic project. You’re supposed to mold your essay or project based on data you include in your article. These information pieces add more credibility and authenticity to your project or paper.
Never Follow Any Source Blindly
Many academic research papers, educational journals, and theses tend to be biased. The majority of research papers include multiple research gaps, and those gaps turn out to be crucial sometimes. So, following a source blindly shouldn’t be your primary aim when you conduct online research. Instead, additional research will help you come across suitable information pieces to fill the research gaps.
Value All Types of Resources
You should remember that secondary resources are equivalently significant as primary resources are. Make sure that you re-check the information collected from secondary resources. Sometimes, it helps you to analyze the flaws and gaps of primary resources. Your research strategy should include a compact combination of primary and secondary resources.
Keep All Gathered Information in an Organized Form
As you go through multiple resources for collecting information, it’s natural to lose track of the information you collected. So, it will be considerate to arrange all the gathered information pieces correctly. This way, the information pieces won’t get messed up. Also, you can create a draft of how you can structure the entire article engagingly.
The Key Is in the Conclusion
A perfect conclusion makes your paper or project worthier and more significant. You need to conduct separate in-depth online research to structure the conclusion section. The conclusion part of your project establishes your point of view about a topic. So, you’re supposed to analyze the topic closely before you finalize your thoughts on that topic or niche.
Cite All the Sources
The referencing segment demands proper research work as your article’s credibility is judged by it. You also need to understand et al usage in your research paper to prevent the citation from flooding with authors’ names.
Conclusion
Writing an academic project is no rocket science. Once you familiarize yourself with the best tips, do’s and don’ts of carrying out extensive and clear research, the next steps become easier to follow. Follow the above strategies to improve your research’s efficacy.