Being your own researcher

Thanks everyone for your great ideas!

People have asked how I do my research. Well, I wish I could say there is an easy way to go about finding this kind of information. There is really a wealth of information out there, and one of the things I find interesting is that the more I begin to get into a topic or subject, the more I realize that each "topic" is actually so interwoven with dozens more that it’s nearly impossible to sift though and investigate just one subject. The other thing you’ll find, as you begin to search for information, is that you may find yourself with more questions than you began with. Such is the wonderful (to me!) nature of discovery.

I find that it’s not answers to my specific questions that I enjoy, it’s that each search gives me new things to think about. Then again, I’m somewhat of a research nerd.

Here’s one suggestion for those of you looking to find out more. Whenever I write a post, I’ll include some links to resources. They may be direct links online, or they’ll be links to books. Hopefully I’ll try to include some that aren’t just strictly academic and ones you can find at your library or bookstore.

My favorite way to get new resources? Look at the bibliography or resources listed in the notes or at the end of a paper or book.

Good luck!

Author: JaeRan

Assistant professor at UW Tacoma, writer, and researcher.

2 thoughts

  1. Thanks Jae Ran! Please excuse my hand-prints as I re-crawl all over your blog. ๐Ÿ˜‰
    When I first started trying to research, I was all over the place. The info out there can be pretty overwhelming. Reading your blog and several others has helped me focus. You’re so right about how things are so interwoven. I still get all sidetracked and can’t seem to stay on one for too long. It’s also helpful to keep a list of “topics” and a few notes for when I do get distracted and veer off into an other subject. I can always come back later and pick up where I left off.

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