I've done a lot of research in the past for both classes and for lab scale scientific research, but I think I still have a few things to learn from this reading. Once again, the text offers several systematic techniques to guide one through researching. The first thing that should be done may sound obvious, but I know I at least have skipped this when researching for classes in the past: defining a research hypothesis. Without this, you're just learning instead of researching-there is no directive. Once you get a solid hypothesis, a way to gauge relevancy of potential sources, then you can start laying out what needs to be researched. Page 253 has a nice outline of this, basically: think about relevant questions pertaining to your subject/hypothesis and all subcategories. Then comes to the actual research itself; probably the best way to do this is to do an annotated bibliography sort of method. This makes it easy when drafting because all of the information is directly linked to a source and you can easily cite information-just easy housekeeping. There were several general methodologies covering different fields, but I found them to be somewhat repetitive. The search engine logical operators are great, I've used them to some avail and there are some other features I probably should use-a great way to filter out the 90% of a search return which is garbage.
For the purposes of this project, the hypothesis (or its equivalent) is: "Which PDA/Smartphone among this list of competitive products should the consumer buy based on their preferences and requirements?" For the brainstorming (I think we need to do a bit more of this as a group and divide up the work from here), topics to include: cost, mechanical features, software features, style, compatibility, usability, reliability, perceptions (regarding certain brands etc) and misconceptions. All that is left is to pool all relevant information on each of these topics such that they, in some way, satisfy the original question as an answer.
Cite It
Yeah a good hypothesis is a great place to start because I always have to look back at it to find out what I am researching. I also like the writing the sources down every time that a research page is found and is going to be used. Writing sources down is probably the biggest thing that people procrastinate on. It is like pulling teeth to get everyone to cite their sources. One time a person sent me their information for all or their sources and wanted me to cite them for them. Citing the sites once they are used would be a great way to prevent procrastination.
changing your mind
Good call on having a hypothesis before starting research. I’ve definitely began researching something without a real direction and you end up looking in the wrong places and backtracking. This can make researching a pretty length process, ask me how I know. However, I think sometimes it’s hard to strictly follow a proposed outline for research. Sometimes when researching a particular topic there will be other interesting information, or perhaps a better point that makes you want to shift your direction. This can make coming up with the initial hypothesis a difficult task and one that should be given some thought, not just arbitrarily chosen.
hypothesis
At the start of the research I think it is important for you to have a solid hypothesis question stated. It'll definitely guided you to the correct path you need to focus on to answer your question in the process of your research. Usually when I think of “hypothesis” I automatically have flashback of science fair projects back in elementary school. Most people(including myself) forget how something so fundamental, such as prompting a hypothesis question, can be so valuable in research. Not to mention the work citing of research can be daunting task and should be kept organize. I know for our group we have a shared document on Google doc dedicated for nothing but our work cited/links.
A hypothesis is a great way to start the day
A good hypothesis is a great way to start any project. It tells the audience where you are going and what you try to prove. It also helps you regain your paper if you happen to stray from the original topic at hand. I know we have all been there before. First you start talking about your subject and then you go into how your breakfast relates to a Venn diagram. That might be a little extreme but it is still a valid point. Using a hypothesis will help us keep on track when writing a white paper or any other paper.
Hypothesis Based Research
I think a lot of us formulate a hypothesis many times in our daily lives without realizing it. Most of us have had to do this formally in a research paper, as you mentioned, in the past and know how to do it well. So it is easy for us to not even think about the fact that we are formulating a hypothesis in our general tasks. But I think you’re right. Having a formal hypothesis either written or thought out in our heads is a great way to gauge how well your sources relate to the material you are trying to convey.
In my experiences in that past, my research was best started by using index cards and having a general system of categories with which to separate the cards into so I can easily go back and use them in a paper and site them later. I would plan out how many supporting paragraphs I wanted and try to get at least 10 cards to support each paragraph. When I went through and wrote the final paper, I could decide which were the strongest and which I could get rid of.
The Importance of Hypotheses
I agree with you, I believe that many of us subconsciously formulate a hypothesis. At least for me, formulating a hypothesis prior to beginning research has been required since 6th grade for most of my classes. As one might expect, my hypotheses have developed greatly. These hypotheses have grown from subjects such as guessing whether or not a certain object will sink or float in water to the explanation of certain electrical phenomena. Regardless of whether or not the formulation of hypothesis is taking place consciously, they are none the less important. Without them research loses a lot of its purpose.
Hypothesis is Underestimated
I can understand why you think the hypothesis statement is highly underestimated. It is one of the critical first steps before the project should continue. And with a project like this one, the students need to determine direction initially and set it in stone. I am guilty of breezing through this step once or twice (or all the time) and know of many others who do the same. Your particular hypothesis statement is very well targeted. At this point, your project is headed in the right direction. And among the other brainstorming ideas your group has come up with, research should be a lot easier.
Hypothesis
The overall hypothesis has to be one of the more important aspects to a project. The hypothesis is a way to set the pace for a project. Once the hypothesis is set people will then know what direction to take to complete a set of tasks for any given project. I believe that the hypothesis and proposal tend to go hand in hand. If someone or even a group of people don't have an a hypothesis or proper proposal set, I would think that it would be very difficult for them to get the ball rolling to a completed project.
Develop hypothesis
I like the thought of focusing on your hypothesis. I had been thinking more about just finding sources that support my idea. I was then going to take note cards and make notes. After taking notes I planned on writing a small summary of what information the resource contained and then deciding where to implement my research. I think that by focusing on the hypothesis first I will be able to decide on better research sources. I think my next focus with this project should be developing a hypothesis so that my research will be more organized and directed.
-Chris