Dear Fellow Students,
One of the main things I learned from this week’s module is the difference between searching and researching. I have always found it hard and time-consuming to find usable research for my research papers. I, like many of you, have always gone straight to google when researching topics for papers. I can find basic information on the topic easily but cannot find anything in-depth that I can actually cite in my paper. What I have learned from this module is that using google to help myself understand the topic is a great use of the tools available but using scholarly databases for finding expert knowledge that backs up the information I’m finding and may help me explain the point better to my audience. One thing I have already put into practice is using the databases that are available through the OSU library to find study’s and articles that help better explain what I’m reading on Wikipedia. One strategy I will use going forward is pre-searching. This is something I already did in a very informal way; however, making this a step I use when writing for every research paper would help me write much more efficiently and effectively. Finally, one tip I have for other students is to not be afraid of google when pre-searching a topic or searching for a quick answer. That being said it is important to know its limitations and that while it is a useful resource in combination with other sources, it is not good to use by itself.
Best regards,
Jacob Eckert