The major aspects I think that are key to social research is knowing how and where to find articles but often in peer reviewed articles there are pieces of information that create a disconnection between your research and the article. Finding the exact information can often take time and be tedious. But typing in keywords so you can narrow your research. Another key point is to think like a researcher. To think like a researcher you want to stay open minded to new ideas and stay unbiased with arguments that you may not align with but still think critically and rationally. Shifting your mindset to not relate to my personal experiences but putting myself in someone else’s shoes to get their perspective as well. Being able to observe the data and analyze the patterns and concepts, then taking them and creating theories that relate. Another characteristic of a researcher is being determined to create the best research not just for myself but wanting my audience to get the full grasp of the issue. Also, collaborating with others because two heads are better than one. Another researcher may approach an issue in a different way than I do so collaborating with them and hearing their ideas allows me to gain insight and expand my research furthermore. When deciding what sources to use in research assignments I first see if they were trusted peer review articles. I would use an online library or google scholar where I knew I could find up to date peer review journals. I use information relevant to my research and look to see if the author has used credible citations that are clear and also recent. Stray away from websites, magazines, or news articles due to personal opinions and not reliable resources. These are some skills or steps that a person could start taking when beginning a social research process.
Utilizing your industry reflections, how could you use the skills and knowledge learned in your research methods and statistics courses to help you perform the duties of the job you are seeking?
When I am working with juveniles I am going to need to do outside research on specific events or resources that the youth needs. Even when I am looking that up I am going to have to know what information is relevant, made up, or useful. I will know how to pinpoint important information and apply it to my job, backing it up with statistics and data that has been found about juveniles. Part of my researching skills was learning how to collaborate with others and putting both of our findings together. So when I am trying to help educate and work with the juvenile I will need to really listen and get a full grasp on the issue while working with other people that may not have the same opinion as me. Also, when I am educating these juveniles most people retain information when there is examples or numbers so backing up my information with methodology and data analysis to help others understand. Also, I will be working with families of the juveniles so past methodology research projects I have done with family stress or parent involvement will help me understand the issues within the family and find a solution faster and more efficient.