While every research project unfolds in different ways and requires different approaches and strategies, there are some elements that are common to every project requiring research (and we use research here to involve the finding and use of existing resources, rather than original research where you collect the data yourself). This diagram illustrates the key common elements in the research process:
| Research Path | We can envision the research journey as a path in the shape of a spiral. The spiral represents the iterative nature of research, meaning that as we travel along the research path, we revisit stages that we have already passed through, but with more knowledge and insight about our topic each time. At the start of our journey, at the outer edges of the spiral, our topic is not yet focused, not yet fully formed. But as we move through the research journey, as the spiral tightens, so does our topic - we become more knowledgeable, we research and write with increasing focus, and we narrow in on our target or goal: the final outcome or product of our research (e.g., a paper or essay, a speech or presentation, a creative work). |
| Big Picture | This is the first stage of our project, and the starting point - deciding what we will investigate or research. At the start of our research journey, we likely have a general idea of the topic we want to explore, but as we move along the path, we will come back to our topic and develop a research question or thesis, then continue to refine it. |
| Language | As we explore our topic, we start to pick up on the language used by others who have conducted research on the topic, and to identify the conversations that have occurred among scholars or practitioners in the discipline(s) where the topic is of interest. We start to become part of the scholarly conversation around the topic. |
| Situation | We also start to identify the boundaries or scope of our project - the expectations that have been expressed by your course instructor your particular interests and goals in relation to the project, and the personal interests and experiences that will shape your approach to and perspectives on the project. |
| Information Gathering | This is the active process of gathering sources, reading, note-taking, and gaining knowledge about your topic. We start by gathering a wide range of information sources, and as we become more knowledgeable, we start to pick and choose those sources that are most relevant and to identify the gaps in our knowledge. |
Learn more about the elements of the research process using the links below: