A research process
This is just one example of a messy, iterative research process. You will come up with your own!
What steps do you take when you do literature research? Make a list! That way, when you get stuck or go off on a tangent, you can stop, take a look at your list, and get back on track.
Do Not Be Afraid!
Step 1: Don't be afraid, just get started!
- Some people think they need to have a perfect topic before they start researching - but that's not true! Even when you start with a well-defined research question, it takes research to understand your topic and transform it into a thesis statement.
- In the library, we call research an iterative or recursive process - steps that you will do, and then repeat - because the more you learn about your topic, the more clear your research question and thesis statement will become.
- What you get stuck? The two videos below left will help understand the process of library research, and make a list of your own process as suggested in the box below right. That way you can see where you are in YOUR process...and back up and get unstuck!