Research Paper
One of the grievous mistakes students make as they write their research papers is assuming that they can submit an excellent paper without necessarily conducting a preliminary research. The purpose of conducting a preliminary research is as stated below:
- It helps you know if your research topic is too wide or too narrow
- It helps you identify the specifics of your assignment
- It helps you identify the most suitable resources for your assignment
- It helps you evaluate availability of sources for your research
- It helps you to understand and internalize the main aspects of your research paper
How do you do a preliminary research?
One of the reasons why students choose not to conduct a preliminary research before writing research assignments is assuming they take so much time. Below is a simplified through which you can conduct effective preliminary research for your research paper assignment.
Give priority to specifics
The main objective of conducting a research is to provide specific answers to specific questions. as such, avoid reading too much general information. To make sure that you engage in specific reading, follow the tips below:
- Go through the index and/or table of content for a mention of your topic and the specific page to find the topic
- Do a speed-read on the introduction to evaluate its relevance to your subject
How do you do speed reading
There is a difference between speeding reading and skimming. Speed-reading involves reading all information fast in order to determine the relevance in your research paper. Speed-reading involves:
- Reading sections where authors strategically place main ideas
- Reading the fast three paragraphs of the introductory chapter
- Reading the last three paragraphs of the introductory chapter
Upon reading the above-mentioned sections, you will know if a source is suitable for your research paper assignment or otherwise. Work with sources that will give you relevant information.