Research Skills

Universities are spaces where knowledge is created and communicated. As a student, you might feel like you get more of the communication side rather than being actively involved in creating knowledge. But whether you are doing experiments or writing essays, you are carrying out research and developing the skills to do so.

Top Ten Tips

1. Locate yourself within the broader research culture of the university. From simply understanding where your research task sits in the unit you’re doing, to developing a sense of the subject matter and methodologies in your discipline of study, to moving into independent research at an Honours or postgraduate level, ideas about research and research practices can help you conceptualise how you learn.
2. At undergraduate level, you may be given a research question, task or topic. Successful research addresses that question, so take time to think through the question to ensure you know what you are being asked to do.
3. Research requires an argument – a thesis statement that can be proved or disproved. Keep this thesis statement in mind as you research.
4. Identify and develop the skills needed – research requires a range of skills. These might include knowing how to use specific software or equipment, as well as critical reading skills, writing and editing, project management and working as part of a group.
5. Researching builds on the work of other people in the field of inquiry. Hone your database searching skills to find relevant literature for your research.
6. Critically evaluate the results of your literature search. Where are the gaps? Is the information current? What methods or theories were used? How does this information contribute to your argument?
7. The process of research is framed by the methods and theoretical tools that you use. Make sure that you understand why and how you choose to use particular methods and theories.
8. Research often involves juggling large amounts of information: database searches, references, resources, experimental data, various drafts of your writing. Manage the information by creating a structure for recording and storing it – and remember to back up regularly!
9. Look for research mentoring – unit coordinators, lecturers and tutors can help you with questions, directions or the unexpected in the course of your research.
10. Research isn’t complete until it has been communicated: familiarise yourself with the conventions of academic communication, such as structures (essays, reports etc), disciplinary and specialist terminology, and referencing.

Podcast

Research

Links

The Graduate Research School
Includes information about many topics relevant to postgraduate research students and students planning to go onto postgraduate work.

myResearchSpace
The site for UWA postgraduate research students ( a behind-the-scenes look at researching and researchers).

Introduction to Research
An overview of the general types of research.

Writing a Research Paper

Writing a Scientific Paper for Publication

Review

Leonie Elphinstone and Robert Schweitzer. How to Get a Research Degree: A Survival Guide. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin, 1998

While this book is aimed at students planning to undertake postgraduate research, its insights will be applicable for Honours students and even advanced undergraduates. Elphinstone and Schweitzer take a holistic and thorough approach to the experience of research process, emphasising that students will get the most out of the experience if they approach it proactively. They include tips, quotes and case studies from postgraduate students, which make the ideas gathered in the book seem approachable and grounded.

Chapters on ‘managing your relationship with your supervisor’, ‘keeping your life balanced’, ‘managing your time effectively’ and ‘the thesis roller-coaster’ focus on the emotional and interpersonal aspects of researching. Tactics such as being explicit about your expectations of the people you are working with, building support networks, learning to prioritise research and study and being self-reflexive about the research experience are suggested as ways to not just survive, but to flourish, while undertaking research.

The actual process of research, from formulating topics, questions and the research proposal to designing and carrying out the research and to writing your results, is also covered. They offer focus questions on these topics that will be useful to beginning and advanced researchers, and address the skills required by researchers and common problems that may be encountered. By breaking down the different tasks involved in conceptualising, carrying out and communicating research, Elphinstone and Schweitzer show that research doesn’t need to be a scary word!

Reviewed books are available on loan from Student Services
2nd Floor, Build Building

Return to Study Smarter