Research a question · Phase 1 of 6
Get your bearings
Read broadly before you narrow down. Encyclopedias, review articles and textbooks teach you the vocabulary, the main people and the live debates. Feeling more lost for a while is normal: it's how a focus forms.
Phases overlap. Expect to come back to this one as your question sharpens and your reading turns up new leads.
- Purpose
- When you need it
- How to do it
- Try it
- Common mistakes
- Limits
- Related
- Sources & further reading
Pages
2- 01 Expect to Feel LostA week into a research project, most people feel more confused than when they started. Carol Kuhlthau's research shows this dip is normal, and that it usually lifts once a focus forms.
- 02 Start With a Review ArticleBefore you read single studies, read one good summary of the field. A review article gives you the vocabulary, the main findings, the open questions, and a reference list that works as a map.
Coming next
2- Learn the Vocabulary FirstPlanned
- Map Who's Who in a FieldPlanned