Research Methods
Adapted from: Houston, D., 1996, A Research Method, QHTA: Brisbane.

1. LOCATING

Where to look for information for research:

How information is accessed depends on the form it comes in including:

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIES

   It has been agreed that the Harvard System of referencing be used throughout the school. See the Language across the Curriculum Folder, under Subject Information, School Web Site for an example
   
   All sources used during the research should be included in a Bibliography, even those to which no specific reference has been made in the essay. Bibliographies should be appropriately headed on a separate page at the end of the essay. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order by the authorÌs surname.

2. USING THE WORK OF OTHERS

   One of the key objectives of the researcher is to try to come up with an original perspective on the topic. This is very difficult for a school student to do because of information available and time constraints. Students should recognise the limitations placed upon them and plan their research accordingly.
   
   In order to know whether your ideas are original you must first find out what others have had to say about your topic. This is often referred to as a literature search. One of the dangers for all researchers inherent in doing the literature search is that they will come across a piece of work that effectively answers their research question. It is very tempting to simply reproduce this as the researcherÌs original work. This is called plagiarism and is not only unacceptable in the academic community but also infringes copyright laws.
   
   It is however acceptable to use the ideas of others to help refine your own ideas. You may also incorporate another authorÌs ideas into your work providing you acknowledge the source.
   
   The second objective of the research process is to find factual data about the topic which you can use to develop your argument. This sort of data comes in many different forms depending on the subject and topic of research.
   
   Concise quotations should be used in your only to illustrate or support a point you have made.

3. READING

The following steps will help you avoid wasting time reading information that is either irrelevant or unimportant.

Reading for Understanding

This requires that you read the text closely so that you understand every word, point, idea and argument. You interrogate the text asking the following questions about the information and the author:

1. Can you detect bias in the language? Has the author used emotive terms or persuasive techniques? Detection of bias does not necessarily make a source unreliable but should heighten your awareness of the authorÌs sympathies and lead you to view the information provided in the context of those sympathies.
2. Is the author authoritative? A writer is regarded as authoritative if they have had special training, education and/or experience in the field about which they are writing.
3. Was the author an eye-witness? Someone who has actually witnessed an event can be reliable. However eye-witness accounts should be treated with caution as their bias, excitement, or tension of the moment can lead to mistakes of recall.
4. Is the sources corroborated? Corroboration means checking that other sources agree with the first source of information.
5. Is the information representative? Check if the information you have is the best representation of the topic you are researching. Do not generalise or jump to conclusions. Preliminary reading about your topic will help you decide what is representative.

ENSURE YOU ACCESS BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

6. SELECTING

Students need to know when to stop researching and start writing. It is essential that you record only the optimum amount of information on each research question. However, to determine reliability of information a number of sources have to be accessed.

1. RECORDING

Record the information you find in note form. While good notes take a little time and effort to construct they are all you need when it comes to the writing phase.

Hints for note taking are:

Sequential notes simply recount what someone else has said or written. These need to be reorganised into a useful form.Concept maps/spider webs help you to organise information as you do your research.

1. WRITING