3.1.1 The research process
As we learnt in the last chapter, planning is the key to good writing. The first step is to know the purpose of the report. The textbook looks at thesis design. However, it is more usual at this level of study that students are given a question or topic to address which requires research of secondary and tertiary sources of information for an essay or case study. Some pieces of assessment may also require primary research in the form of interviews and questionnaires. But regardless of the purpose, the fundamental skills of planning for academic writing remain the same.
Once the research question is known and you have an idea of what is required, the research process begins. The steps in the research process are:
- gathering data
- summarising and analysing data
- presenting data.
Activity 3a
Read through the various forms of secondary and tertiary sources of information that could be used to gather data on pages 399-402 of the textbook. Where would you find these sources?
Revisit pages 567-570 of your text for information on searching online. How is this different to searching other tertiary sources?
Reading 3.2 is a guideline on common verbs used in assessment topics - refer to this when commencing assessments. (Remember it is useful to consider what is required before you start researching!)
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