Research is an important tool to use when writing any document. It is needed for accurate results, procedures, facts, and other important items that will soon flow through our fingertips when we are writing our papers.
According to the Thompson handbook, one must summarize what you have learned from the research. Anyone can become a parrot and regurgitate information. If a person truly knows the material then they can teach it to others. I hope to achieve this type of result when I research my topic this week. If I can write a set of instructions and teach my teammates something new then I am on the right track.
For my group white paper there will be a few research methods that I will use to research our topic. First our topic will cover SharePoint and perhaps Google Groups so I would have to be familiar with both programs. I have used Google Groups for numerous school projects so I would like to think I know what I am doing whenever I user it. However, this thought process can hurt when I might have overlooked something. I will use the internet to research less than used functions of a Google Group, the ones that I might have overlooked. I will also use a hand on approach to explore the Google Groups program. I might have looked over some key points that will be able to help businesses or students with their projects.
Since I have never used SharePoint I would have to first acquire the software and use it firsthand. I would also read other documentation on how to use it. I feel that by doing this type of research then I will have a better understanding of the program when it comes time to write the white paper. I would also depend on my teammates to read up and find new information. This way we can teach each other new information as well as split up the white paper accordingly.
By using research to its fullest potential then it will make the white paper easier to write. Of course the only way to use research to its fullest potential is by depending on ourselves to find the information. After all, we cannot expect to learn new things through osmosis.
Working with the readings
Note: you need to be sure to incorporate the assigned readings into these reading reports. There is no other way to determine if you have done the assigned readings.
Truly knowing the material not just regurgitating
I like when you are referring to a parrot with just regurgitating information. I think if you are truly going to write a paper contributing information that the audience is going to making opinions with should be written by a creditable person who knows the information. Anyone can write a paper, when you have consolidated all of your research to make your own opinion for other to look at you have to be credible, and cite where you resources. Truly knowing the material will make it easier for you to write your paper and stay consistent with the information you are providing to the audience.
Zebulon Rouse
Researching for credibility
You may also want to remember that research is also used heavily for your credibility. This is extremely important when writing your document. You will need to utilize keen research skills to get the most relevant and accurate information. Without trusted sources your audience really would have no reason to believe what you’re writing about, unless you consider yourself an expert and would just like to accredit yourself. Anyways, my point is to make sure you use reliable sources and keep in mind there is somewhat of a persuasive effort here. You may also want to consider finding some good quotes to use in your research as they can immensely enhance your credibility.
Researching before researching
I also know very little about SharePoint. It seems like we need to catch up on what our topic consists of before we really start to research it. We need to know about our own platform/software, along with some of its competitors, before we can really try to inform our audiences about it. Once we know the basic aspects of SharePoint are and who it caters to, we can begin digging for information. Like you said, we will need to partake in two types of research: hands on, and the old-fashion style locate-read-write. When using the program ourselves, we can test the credibility of other people who have already reviewed the platforms. We will also be able to fill in anything that is missing that our main audience may need to know.
SharePoint
SharePoint is more of a framework than any specific peice of software. The SharePoint framework can be found in many web applications which are usually deployed within corporate internal websites. They are often times used for groups to publish and keep track of documents and files. SharePoint also stores version informtion so it can be viewed as a versioning system optimized for documents. Our group is actually using SharePoint (although I doubt anyone else knows it) because the Microsoft Office Live Workspace we have is built on top of the SharePoint technology. I suggest you check it out. Here is the link:
http://workspace.officelive.com/