Before taking this class, my idea of “research” was simply looking up a subject and taking for granted that the information I found was true. I would google a subject and use the information that appeared in the first two or three sites that showed up. Now that I am a little more informed about how to actually “research” something I think several of the papers I’ve submitted in the past may have been less that accurate. I used to always use information provided on sites maintained by specific organizations, but now I can see how the information may have been (or most likely was) biased toward their own beliefs, and not necessarily research based.
I don’t think that research has necessarily become easier, but it has become more precise. I still found that I had to really dig for information, but at least now I know how to extract real information. I never before looked for a publisher’s name, but now it is one of the first criteria I use. And depending on what type of information I am looking for, I now check to see how current a publication is.
2 comments:
Greg,
I think we are all growing where research techniques are concerned. I do think that half the battle is recognizing how we have improved. I think we've come a long way. It only gets better I am told.
Hello Greg!
Like you, I used to use Google for everything, and I have to admit that I still use it for a lot of things. But since I've taken this course, I have learned like you to obtain more accurate information. Also, I have noticed that the resources we have learned about are more dependable when doing research. Everything is almost always given in a nutshell. This is a valuable course. It's not one that should just be taken for credit, but can be used for a lifetime!
Sincerely,
Ruth
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