Research is a life skill that you actually use in your day to day lives! Whether it be about making decisions on buying a new phone or about what college course to register for, you're actually applying the same research steps here as you would use in your coursework for papers, presentations, practicums, and more! It 's highly important to learn how to navigate through the research process and all of its steps. In doing so, you will refine and develop lifelong skills of information literacy.
The steps you need to take may vary from topic to topic, but the main idea behind each step will always remain the same. By planning out a research strategy, you will be better able to focus in on your topic, organize your search, manage your time efficiently, progress from general to specific resources, and understand when you have researched your topic thoroughly or if further examination is needed.
Remember that the research process takes time and effort! You should not expect to complete all of these steps in an hour or so; sometimes research for things like Dissertations can take years of hard work! By thoughtfully approaching your assignment you will be able to pick a reasonable topic, research the topic, and compose an organized piece of scholarly research.
(adapted from a NCU Libguide)