What is Research?

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the essential components of research writing
Finger on a book page, as if searching for specific information.

Figure 1. Research means searching for the answer to your research question and compiling the information you find in a useful and meaningful way.

What is Research?

At its most basic level, research is the process of discovering information you don’t yet know. While this may seem simple, it involves key assumptions that are essential for success in this course—and beyond.

Understanding Research Questions

Research begins with a knowledge gap—something you don’t yet know. It is always goal-directed and starts with a specific question. This research question is the statement of the thing you don’t know that motivates your research.

Some questions have straightforward answers that can be found quickly, while more complex questions require gathering and evaluating information.

Example: homework vs. Research questions

Example 1: Does Columbus, Ohio, have a commercial airport?

  • A quick Google search confirms that it does.

Example 2: Do any airlines offer direct flights from Kansas City to Columbus, Ohio?

  • A search on travel websites shows that no direct flights are available.

Example 3: What’s the best way to travel from Kansas City to Columbus, Ohio?

  • This requires comparing travel options based on factors like cost, time, and personal preferences. A business traveler may prioritize speed, while a college student with a pet may choose a more affordable option.

Although all three questions we listed above require information gathering, for the purposes of this course we are going to call questions like #1 and #2 “homework questions.” These are homework questions because you can find the answer just by going to a single reference source and looking it up. We will address the “research question” like #3 for which developing a fully functional answer requires both gathering relevant information and then assembling it in a meaningful way.

In other words, a research question differs from a homework question because research is the process of finding the information needed to answer your research question and then deriving or building the answer from the information you found.

Research Writing

A young man sitting underneath a question mark sign, positioned as if he is posing a question himself.

Figure 2. In true research-based writing, you begin with a research question and go hunt for the answer.

In some high school and college courses, “research writing” is used broadly to describe any assignment that incorporates outside sources. However, true research involves starting with a question you don’t yet know the answer to and building that answer through gathering and analyzing information.

The difference between research writing and other source-based writing is:

  • In research writing, you begin with a question, gather information, derive an answer, and then state that answer as your thesis.
  • In source-based writing, you start with a thesis and then find sources to support it. While this requires information gathering, it is not research in the strictest sense.

Understanding this distinction helps you approach assignments effectively. Research projects require different processes than source-based writing, and recognizing the type of assignment ensures you can efficiently plan and execute your work.

Think about a recent writing project that required sources. Based on this definition, was it a research project or a source-based writing project?

Key Takeaway: Research Writing

Research involves both gathering information and analyzing it to answer a question. Research writing, then, is the process of sharing the answer to your research question along with the evidence on which your answer is based, the sources you use, and your own reasoning and explanation. Regardless of the question or audience, the core components of research writing remain the same.

Regardless of the question or audience, the building blocks of research writing remain the same.

The Essential Building Blocks of Research Writing

These guidelines will help you as you approach research writing.

Step 1: Begin with a question to which you don’t know the answer and that can’t be answered just by going to the appropriate reference source. That is, begin from a research question, not a homework question.

  • Decide what kind of information or data will be needed in order to build the answer to the question.
  • Gather information and/or collect data.
  • Work with the information/data to construct your answer.

Step 2: Engage in the research process.

  • Create a one-sentence answer to your research question. This will become the thesis statement/main point/controlling idea of your research paper.

Step 3: Share your answer to research questions in a way that makes it believable, understandable, and usable for your readers.

  • Include plentiful and well-chosen examples from the data/information you gathered
  • Indicate the validity of your data by accurately reporting your research method (field or lab research)
  • Indicate the quality of your information by accurately citing your sources (source-based research)

Try It

Glossary

homework question: a question for which a definite answer exists and can easily be found by consulting the appropriate reference source

research: the physical process of gathering information plus the mental process of deriving the answer to your research question from the information you gathered

research question: a question that can be answered through a process of collecting relevant information and then building the answer from the relevant information

research writing: the process of sharing the answer to your research question along with the evidence on which your answer is based, the sources you use, and your own reasoning and explanation