My process of doing academic research has changed since the beginning of this semester. Before completing the process of doing academic research I believed that there had to be a question that needed an answer in order to conduct academic research. I now understand that you are able to conduct academic research to add on to research that has already been conducted. I have also learned how to format a research survey. I now understand where to place open-ended and close-ended questions.  

While evaluating research in literature for this assignment I used different methods to determine whether or not I found them useful. One strategy I used when looking at literature was the date it was published. I have found that older research may not be as valid today as it once was. Society has changed drastically over the last decade. Much of the literature that I found was from the 1990s. When submitting my final completed version of the research essay I did add more sources. I found that many sources need to have more information to it. I found that looking in the citation page of the sources I already had helped me dive further into certain topics.

While conducting research for this class, there were some challenges that I had to overcome. One challenge that I had overcome is making research questions. The original questions that I created were not measurable and very broad. I had to narrow down the questions yet not making it lengthy. One strategy that I used to overcome this challenge is writing the thought of the question then possible answers. After doing so, I wrote out all the ways that I could ask the questions and utilized my group members of which was best written. Another challenge that I faced was finding literature on the topic. Much of the literature that I found was not on the track I was going. One strategy I used to overcome this is search very specific topic within the literature. I found that using words that are narrow will guide me in the direction that I need to go in.

Over the course of this semester my attitude and perceptions toward doing research has changed. My confidence in conducting research has greatly improved. I now have a better understanding of how to complete research and write a full research essay. I have better knowledge of the research process. I have developed the skill of creating research questions that can be used on a public survey. I can now create multiple questions that are asking the same thing. I now understand how to write a research evaluation essay. I can conduct efficient research to help me further examine a topic. I have become more versatile in my word choice and research.

To “think like a researcher” I believe one must have an open mind. One must understand all sides of the research to ensure that they are knowledgeable on all sides of the research. It is important to know how to understand research that you may not agree with. Having an open mind allows you to explore more options within your researching process. Research can be complex and difficult to understand at times. It can be challenging to research information where there has not been a lot of research done on it. Being able to have an open mind allows one to reflect on their research to ensure that their research is useful and adding to literature.