{"id":62,"date":"2018-09-28T19:06:38","date_gmt":"2018-09-28T19:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/?post_type=chapter&p=62"},"modified":"2018-12-11T15:32:19","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T15:32:19","slug":"academic-research","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-esc-educationalplanning\/chapter\/academic-research\/","title":{"raw":"Academic Research","rendered":"Academic Research"},"content":{"raw":"Are you comfortable doing academic research?\u00a0 Can you develop a workable research question, use databases to find articles in professional journals, and cite your sources?\u00a0 If you're pursuing a bachelor's degree, are you prepared for advanced-level research?\u00a0 Can you analyze-evaluate-critique a concept, create an assertion, and use logic and evidence to back up your assertion with your own ideas, using research to support your own, unique thoughts?\u00a0 All of these skills are needed for academic research.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/qUd_gf2ypk4[\/embed]\r\n\r\nAcademic researchers often rely on databases to find articles in scholarly journals.\u00a0 Databases are tailored to\u00a0academic research and can provide lots of pertinent results in a fraction of the time you\u2019d need to find the material in a general search engine such as standard Google. Databases can help you focus your research, cite your sources, and access a wide range of scholarly journals, books, and newspapers that have been evaluated for accuracy and credibility by subject experts and publishers.\r\n

Types of Databases<\/h3>\r\n\"decorativeGeneral databases have a little bit of everything (like a big retail store). Examples of general databases include\u00a0Google Scholar, the\u00a0library\u00a0articles search, or JSTOR. These are good starting points, but you may find they yield\u00a0either too many search results to sift through or\u00a0too much irrelevant information.\u00a0 If so, try a specialized database.\r\n\r\nSpecialized databases (like a boutique) contain research more\u00a0limited\u00a0to a particular subject\/discipline (ex. psychology), or format (ex. streaming video). You can do a more focused search in\u00a0specialized databases aligned to your topic. The number of results you get will be smaller, but the content\u00a0may be more relevant.\u00a0Examples of specialized databases include\u00a0PsycINFO, Political Science Complete, or Pubmed.\r\n\r\nYou will probably begin your search with your library's \u201carticle search\u201d or \u201cdatabase search\u201d link. When you search article databases, your results list contains citations for various information sources. Depending on the database, you might find citations to books or book\u00a0chapters. For example, the database PsychINFO\u00a0identifies your search results as scholarly articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, etc.\u00a0 Additionally, databases provide all of the information you need for your citations, should you choose to use the source\/s you find through your database search.\r\n\r\nThe following videos explain the concept of databases, and how to search in databases using what's called Boolean Operators (the words \"and,\" \"or,\" and \"not,\" which can help you refine your search).\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/Q2GMtIuaNzU[\/embed]\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/Yw9Djl_0vK4[\/embed]\r\n
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initial learning activity<\/h3>\r\nIdentify a topic you'd like to research.\u00a0 Then develop a research question about that topic, appropriate for a 5-8 page research paper, following the process presented in the video below.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/youtu.be\/1oJNO6PYZe4[\/embed]\r\n\r\nMake sure to evaluate your research question before you start your research.\u00a0 For example, the research question \"What do people eat in Vietnam?\" is not a useful research question, because it does not contain a \"why?\" or \"how?\" question and it can be answered in a few simple sentences.\u00a0 On the other hand, the research questions \"How does Vietnamese food reflect values in Vietnamese culture?,\" or \"How does Vietnamese cuisine reflect a history of colonialism?\" are useful research questions, because they will require some analysis and level of complexity to answer.\r\n\r\nOnce you have developed your research question, find an article in a database that will yield some appropriate information to help answer that research question.\r\n\r\nSubmit the following\u00a0items:<\/strong>\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. your research question<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. the database you used<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. the specific article you used, in correct citation format (which the database may help you with; if not, check out citationmachine.net)<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. answers to the following questions:<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    • What did you learn?\u00a0 Identify one or more things that you learned from this activity.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • What went well, and what did not go well,\u00a0with this learning activity?\u00a0How\u00a0might you approach it differently the next time?<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Briefly assess your overall competence with academic research.\u00a0 Would you define yourself as a novice, an informed practitioner, an expert?\u00a0 Even if expert, what steps might you take to further refine your academic research skills?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
      \r\n

      in-depth learning activity<\/h3>\r\nFollow the initial learning activity with these additions:\r\n\r\nFind at least 5 articles in databases\u00a0that will yield some appropriate information to help answer\u00a0your research question.\r\n\r\nInstead of citing the articles in correct format, create an annotated bibliography for those 5 sources, which includes the full citation for each article, followed by your own summary and analysis.\u00a0You can read\/view information\u00a0about creating an annotated bibliography using the following sources:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Cornell University Library\u2019s How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
      • University of Maryland University College\u2019s Library Guide How to Write an Annotated Bibliography<\/a><\/li>\r\n \t
      • Purdue\u00a0Online Writing Lab\u2019s Annotated Bibliography Samples<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nUsing the results of your article review, create a working analytical thesis for a potential research paper, answering your research question by offering an assertion about your topic.\u00a0 For example, \"When you examine the history of certain dishes in Vietnam, it becomes evident that Vietnamese cuisine reflects the culture's values of good name, respect, learning, and family.\"\r\n\r\nSubmit the following\u00a0items:<\/strong>\r\n
          \r\n \t
        1. your research question<\/li>\r\n \t
        2. the database\/s you used<\/li>\r\n \t
        3. the specific articles you used, in annotated bibliography format, which includes the full citation followed by your own summary and analysis<\/li>\r\n \t
        4. your working analytical thesis for a research paper, which offers an assertion in answer to your research question<\/li>\r\n \t
        5. answers to the following questions:<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
            \r\n \t
          • What did you learn?\u00a0 Identify one or more things that you learned from this activity.<\/li>\r\n \t
          • What went well, and what did not go well,\u00a0with this learning activity?\u00a0How\u00a0might you approach it differently the next time?<\/li>\r\n \t
          • Briefly assess your overall competence with academic research.\u00a0 Would you define yourself as a novice, an informed practitioner, an expert?\u00a0 Even if expert, what steps might you take to further refine your academic research skills?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
            \r\n

            Related college Learning Goals<\/h3>\r\nInformation and Digital Media Literacy:<\/strong> Critically access, evaluate, understand, create and share information using a range of collaborative technologies to advance learning, as well as personal and professional development.\r\n\r\n \r\n

            For more information, see the College Learning Goals Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"

            Are you comfortable doing academic research?\u00a0 Can you develop a workable research question, use databases to find articles in professional journals, and cite your sources?\u00a0 If you’re pursuing a bachelor’s degree, are you prepared for advanced-level research?\u00a0 Can you analyze-evaluate-critique a concept, create an assertion, and use logic and evidence to back up your assertion with your own ideas, using research to support your own, unique thoughts?\u00a0 All of these skills are needed for academic research.<\/p>\n