I have not done a research project like this before. The ones I have done have just been reading and finding needed information. This project was different in many way and helped me realize the importance of a research project. At this time last year, I did a research project that had me solely rely on what I could find on Google. This has helped me know what an actual research project is and how to go about doing them. I also did not know the proper way of writing a literature review as it was never taught to me. This process helped me grow academically and know the rights and wrongs of doing a research project.
It was not the easiest finding sources as there were a lot in general, but not a lot of what I specifically needed. I had to read through a lot of them and decide what worked the best with my topic. There is not as much research as I liked on the topic, but hopefully there will be in the future. I also did not know a lot about the topic starting out which made it a little more difficult. Ultimately, I looked at the sources which were aimed the most at my topics and then looked at their sources to see what the other authors used to see if they had anymore information. I did end up adding a different source or two before turning the final in as I found more that made sense and worked well with what was needed.
The biggest challenge I faced was not knowing the proper way to do a research project. I was going in a little blind and nervous as I felt it was not going to be a good project. I had the chance to learn what I needed to do before hand and was able to get help if I needed it which helped a lot. I tried to make sure I had a basis of what I was doing before I started parts of this project. To do this I would look at examples from my class or online to make sure I had everything right. It can be scary not knowing what you are doing in a project as there is a lot of fear and anxiety toward failure. Another challenge I faced was finding sources for my topics. There is some research done, but not as much as my peers and I would have liked. I know I struggled finding a few for this project, but overall, the ones found were very useful.
From the beginning of the semester, August, to now. December, my views, and perception of doing research have changed a lot. A first I was very nervous and did not have the best idea of what I was doing. Now I am more confident in being able to write and do a research project. Having help along the way in making sure I know the rights and wrongs of the parts I am doing helped a lot. Sometimes trying to find help among your peers or online might not be the most helpful, but when you are able to get help from your professor it helps your confidence go up as you know what you need to do. Also, seeing a good grade when you were nervous about the assignment helped a lot with confidence.
Thinking like a researcher can mean a lot of things since there are so many types of research. This semester opened my eyes to seeing how researchers really do things and what it can be like in the real world. Sometimes you have to think on the fly and thin ahead of what can happen as there is no real guarantee that what you want will happen. Even then you still might have to work around ither obstacles, but all in all that is part of research. Thinking like a researcher means being able to work under pressure and still being able to perform. It means being able to work with what you are given and make the best out of it. It means being able to show others that research is important and needs to be done so people know what is going on and what can be done.