Who ever knew that searching and researching were two different things? Not me for sure. Before engaging in this weeks modules, I had no idea how similar yet different the two actions were. Searching focuses on quantity, while researching focuses on quality. Searching is more so for when you’re with a group of people debating who has the write answer about what year a song or movie came out. Researching on the other hand is when you put time and dedication into a topic to truly find the root of what you’re truly asking. When researching you have to find specific information that is reliable, primary, accurate, and trustworthy. Research focuses on how and why. As Marc Prensky said, “while search involves just looking, research involves a whole discipline of behaviors.”
The next time I have a research paper, I want to practice “pre-searching.” Pre-searching is basically when you
1.Make a list of the questions you need to answer before you can write your assignment.
2.ask yourself: what information would help you answer these questions
3.Figure where to find different kinds of information(websites, journals, books)
Taking out the time to actually plan out your research will honestly save you time in the long run.