Research Reflection

  1. Since the beginning of the semester, my knowledge for research tools has increased exponentially. Previously, I was unaware of the program SPSS and how to operate this data system. I can now create different charts and code data material, thus making it simpler and easier to read. Also, I now have learned more academic cites to research my topics and find more scholarly sources prior to selecting them.
  2. My process for for evaluating and selecting resources has become much different after this semester, learning many new tools to use. I have previously never used the Longwood A-Z database much to select a source, partially due to not knowing how to use it properly. I now use that and other source systems such as JSTOR to select my resources. I look at how many times a source has been peer reviewed or used somewhere else before selecting to use it in my own work. I did not add any more sources to my final paper bibliography, I felt the adequate sources were present.
  3. The challenges I encountered while doing assignments in class was perhaps finding a sufficient amount of sources. I learned different databases to use during the course, but finding the sufficient amount of perhaps 5-6 quality sources was challenging. I used strategies such as going to the writing center which is a free resource for us to use that is quite often overlooked. While I was there, professionals and librarians showed me different ways of filtering through databases that allow finding numerous sources much easier and quicker.
  4. My attitude and confidence level has in fact changed over the course of this semester, and for the better. Now knowing how to operate at least one coding system such as SPSS has allowed me to feel more confident going into future research courses. Like most things, you see improvement due to practice, and this course provided several instances where I saw my research skills improve. Research papers have never been my specialty, and they very well may never be, but I have increased my attitude when it comes to being tasked with assignments like these.
  5. When you see “Think Like a Researcher”, I was not sure quite what that entailed prior to this course. After going through steps that a researcher must take, I can now understand what one goes through. To think like a researcher, I think it means to make your work easy to read if somebody who knew nothing about your material came along and wanted to read it. Using different systems of analyzing data, it would be important to have your work easy to understand that way your hard work is actually being seen and heard. If I had to choose one word to describe what I thought it meant, it would be revision. We consistently go back and check our work, whether its rewording questions to cater to all audiences, or fixing graphs to make them easier to read. All of this is done with one goal in mind as a researcher, to have your work be readily understood by your audience.