The role of curiosity in research / Allison Hosier.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hosier, Allison, author.

Series:

Student success.

SAGE skills: Student success

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Research--Methodology.

Research.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations.

Place of Publication:

Los Angeles, CA : SAGE Publications, Inc., 2022.

Summary:

Think of the last time you searched for information on any topic. Maybe you wanted to learn more about the story behind a new song by your favorite artist on your favorite entertainment blog. Or maybe you're a true crime fan and you used a search engine like Google to dig deeper into a story you heard on a podcast or saw in a docuseries. Maybe you're learning embroidery and looked up some videos on YouTube that demonstrate how to do basic stitches. Or maybe you were working on a project about social media and privacy for a class you're taking and you used your library's website to find sources. What do all of these activities have in common? They're all research. Often, when we think about research, we think about an activity that's formal in nature, maybe something that's been assigned to us by an authority figure like a teacher or professor who will then evaluate the quality of our work based on a set of rules and expectations. It's true that some types of research do work like this, but many do not. In many cases, you may conduct research simply as a way to follow your personal curiosity. When you do that, you're making decisions about where to search and what to look for without necessarily realizing that you're doing it. You decide what types of sources to trust as you establish and revise your understanding of the topic you're interested in. And you do this on a daily basis, every time you open an Internet browser or pick up your phone and start Googling. Believe it or not, you are a research expert! That said, you might not feel like one, especially if you're new to college research or have experienced difficulty with it in the past. When you conduct research based on personal curiosity, all of the decisions about what to research and how to research it are up to you. With college research, there are a lot more rules and it can be difficult figuring out how to navigate those rules. The good news is that as someone who's done a lot of personal research, you've developed a lot of skills and knowledge that will be valuable to you as you take on the college research process. You know more than you might think, and this skill will show you how to use that knowledge as part of your college research journey. But it's also true that there are important differences between college research and other types of research you may be familiar with, including personal research and high school research. This skill will build on the knowledge you already have about research by teaching you what those differences are and why they exist. If you're completely new to college research, you'll learn what to expect from your first college research assignment. If you have some experience, you'll learn what more advanced college research might look like as you progress through your studies. As a user and creator of information, you have been doing research in various contexts your whole life, and you'll continue to do it in various forms long after you walk across the stage at graduation. With that in mind, we'll also take a look at how to apply your college research expertise to the types of research you'll encounter outside of the academic environment. You may not feel confident in your expertise yet, but by the end of this Skill, you'll have built a foundation of knowledge that will not only help you better understand college research yourself but also be a leader among your peers, many of whom may be feeling the same uncertainty as you.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on: online resource; title from PDF information screen (SAGE, viewed December 24, 2022).

ISBN:

1-0718-9939-2

9781071899397

OCLC:

1342120119