How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills

How Students Can Improve Their Research Skills If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of completing yet another difficult research paper, there are a few things that can make the process a little easier. Students can improve their research skills by being comfortable asking questions, understanding how to organize information, learning how to find credible sources, and more. Research papers involve a level of examination that can be tricky for any student. Luckily, students have many chances to further develop these skills, as research papers are commonly requested from teachers across all grade levels. Ace your next research paper by following these tips: Improve research skills by asking good questions Once you have your topic selected, you need to ask yourself some questions. Begin by listing what you know about your subject to gauge your existing expertise. Next, ask yourself what you hope to learn through your research, which is often dictated by the assignment. Knowing what sort of information youre looking for can give you some direction as you dive into your project. If there are other requirements for your project, now is a good time to list them out; maybe you need an in-person interview, two scholarly articles, and one book. Get all questions answered now to make sure that your paper or project will be complete. [RELATED: Which Style Guide Should I Use?] You should also write your thesis statement (or a version of what it will become) to provide you direction when youre faced with the wealth of information available to you as a researcher. That way, you can narrow your focus a bit more. Ask your teacher for guidance on this if youd like a second opinion. Improve research skills by thinking carefully about your sources Now that you have a game plan, its time to get to work. As you begin to accumulate information, it is always a good idea to check your source and ask yourself a few questions: Is it outdated? Is it biased? Can you confirm the information provided in at least one other place? If not, your information may be less than ideal. Begin with an internet search for scholarly articles (most web browsers are now smart enough to separate these from less helpful information online). If youre struggling to find good information, a great place to look for additional information is in the source material of another source youve found valuable to your research. While youve probably been told that Wikipedia is an unacceptable source, the sources listed at the bottom could be validand could often be good jumping-off points for source material. You might also think about learning advanced web search techniques, which can help refine your searches by providing you with the tools you need to find optimal keywords, phrasing, etc. in your research. Consult one of the librarians at your school for guidance on this. Improve research skills by organizing your information As you begin to make progress in your information, youll need to keep it organized to make sure each item you collect is unique and relevant. Chances are, youre going to be using the internet for much of your information. Bookmarks and subfolders can be a good way to divide up your information for easy access. If youre someone who likes things directly in front of you, you may consider printing pieces of research you think will be most valuable. In preparation for your paper or project, you should also consider making an outline once you have a few sources. Where is your paper going? That may have changed from your early attempts at a thesis. Consider making a mind-map if youre a visual learner or a more traditional outline (make it on a big piece of paper so you can refer to it easily to guide your research), and identify holes in your information (i.e. places in your argument that may be weak). Improve research skills by seeking out examples If youre struggling during any part of this process, it can be helpful if you ask your teacher to view a sample of past student work. Look at a paper that your teacher felt was a positive example, so you know where the bar is set. Can you identify things the good paper employed during research? Emulate them. [RELATED: The Importance of Writing Skills] Similarly, have a trusted family member or friend review your paper, which can help make your research stronger. Have them consider the following questions as they review: Are you clearly articulating your information or argument? Are there places where youve offered insufficient information? Your reviewers may be able to point them for you. The bottom line when improving research skills It can feel like a challenge to capture such large amounts of information when youre faced with seemingly endless sources, so try not to approach research in such big chunks. By asking good questions, staying organized, using good and varied sources, and utilizing the work and skills of your peers, youll slowly master the research papera skill that will serve you for many years to come. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

3 Ways to Get GRE Writing Practice

3 Ways to Get GRE Writing Practice If youre taking the GRE, the exam starts with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), which consists of two parts: the Issue Task and the Argument Task. You have 30 minutes to write each essay. Unfortunately, that doesnt give you much time to include all the thoughts you might have on the topics or to structure your words in the most effective manner. But there are ways to get GRE writing practice, like brainstorming outlines for your essay, writing full essays before the exam, and comparing your essays to provided examples. Ultimately, practice is key to perform your best on the GRE essays. Lets look at a few detailed writing tips GRE Writing Tip #1: Write full Issue task and Argument task essays Potential essay topics that you could have on the day of your GRE are available on the ETS website, so technically there are no surprises if you do your homework! There is a pool of topics for the Issue Task and a pool of topics for the Argument Task. However, there are many, many topics in each pool. To start practicing, pick one topic from the Issue Topics pool and one from the Argument Topics pool, and write a timed essay for each of the tasks. As you write each essay, use the 5-20-5 rule: 5 minutes to brainstorm and outline 20 minutes to write as much as you can 5 minutes to edit and review your work For the Issue Task, this means you take the first five minutes to decide whether you agree or disagree with the topic; then, write down two or three specific examples to support your opinion. For the Argument Task, use the first five minutes to identify two or three flawed assumptions the argument is based on and write down any information you would need to better assess the argument. Completing each of these practice essays within the 30-minute time limits will help build your stamina for GRE test day. GRE Writing Tip #2: Compare your essays to official sample responses Once you have written some Issue and Argument practice essays, see how your responses match up to the high scoring examples provided in official ETS materials. Do your essays contain a similar number of paragraphs? Are those paragraphs approximately the same length? Are your sentences structured in the same way? Have you displayed vocabulary variety in your writing? Have you incorporated specific examples to support your position in the Issue Task? Have you cited specific flaws to examine in the Argument Task? Look at how the sample responses with scores of 5 and 6 are crafted, and try to emulate that style of writing in your own essay. GRE Writing Tip #3: Practice brainstorming and outlining responses to the ETS pools of topics As mentioned above, ETS provides a Pool of Issue Topics and a Pool of Argument Topics so students can practice for the AWA. In addition to writing full Issue and Argument essays on a regular basis, you can spend 10-minute chunks of your days developing brief responses to the tasks, one at a time. This will help you come up with answers to the topics more efficiently, and it will expose you to the wide range of topics quickly, rather than if you were to write a full essay for each one. You will also discover that many of the Issue topics, as well as the Argument topics, follow certain, basic formats. For example, many Issue topics involve education proposals, government policies, or political leadership. Many Argument topics examine scientific studies, economic plans, or city development. As you work through more of them, you will become familiar with how to approach a certain type of Issue topic or Argument topic when it appears on your exam. All in all, the best way to get GRE writing practice is to start writing GRE essays. Begin by scheduling an hour every other day to write one Issue essay and one Argument essay. Then, as you figure out your strengths and weaknesses on the AWA section of the GRE, adjust your study methods to improve your performance on the necessary areas. By writing regularly, evaluating your responses, and familiarizing yourself with the Issue and Argument topics, you will be on your way to maximizing your writing score on the GRE. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.