Part of the college experience is writing and research. Depending on the field of study, either or both can make up the majority of a semester, with the entire class leading up to a capstone research project that might make up the majority of the class grade.
Whether writing an essay, conducting a lab experiment, or building a working model, research projects are an essential component of the college experience. That means knowing the essential components of a research project, regardless of the field of research, is vitally important to comprehend the material. Not only will doing so ensure a good grade, but also a sound understanding of the research process, which has far-reaching benefits beyond the classroom. For these reasons, the Nerdify Reviews team defined key elements the research project should be based on.
1. Understand the guidelines
First of all, to conduct a proper research project, one needs to understand the guidelines. These will be provided by the professor and can be very strict and thorough, or broad and generic. It depends on the subject, field of study, and material being researched. Knowing the requirements might seem obvious, but a thorough understanding is important to avoid wasting time on aspects that might not be needed.
2. Plan the project
Whether writing an outline or simply ensuring there is enough time to research, study, and actually work on the project should be based on a clear plan. It is a vital part of the process. Sites like Reddit or Nerdify Reviews Medium article collection can provide insight on how to properly map out a plan for a research project, regardless of the field of study.
For example, if you’re working on a science lab you’ll need to plan the order of steps ahead, including what theories need to be researched, and schedule the use of the lab rooms as well. Papers should have at least a rough outline, and if working on a group project, comparing the plans will help ensure smooth cooperation.
3. Do the research
This part may seem obvious, but it’s important to perform as thorough a job as possible researching the potential materials and sources before actually undertaking the project. In the sciences, this will help prevent redundant work or inaccurate theories based on missing data. In the humanities, it ensures that the project is current with the field and has a strong foundation of sources to build upon.
While it might be tempting to research while working on the project, and, to a limited extent this can help, the bulk of preliminary research should be done as part of or even before starting the project properly.
4. Plan and obtain materials
If certain materials are needed, especially ones that require permission from the university, such as expensive lab tools, obtaining permission and a time to use the materials is obviously vital. Printing out surveys for a sociological study or grabbing books from the library for a history paper falls into the same vein. Without the right materials, a research project is just a bunch of ideas and words.
5. Collect and coordinate data
With a plan and materials, it’s time to collect the data. Whether performing a survey or a laboratory experiment, the actual research project needs to be done at some point. All the preparation in the world is wasted otherwise. Sites like Reddit have plenty of stories of people who spent so much time planning the project they barely had time to do it, so make sure to keep time management into account.
6. Write and analyze
Even a science lab will need a written account, so, with the data collected, it’s time to analyze it. For the humanities, it’s now time to put all that research and source study to work. Nerdify Reviews experts have a few pieces of advice on the writing portion of the project. In general, it needs to be concise, direct, and well-researched. That’s why performing the research beforehand is so essential.
7. Review and revise
Whether it’s double-checking the math on a science experiment or checking grammar and spelling, reviewing the completed work will help catch errors and show that the work is a well-researched, studied, and written project. The reviewing process can be tedious, and sometimes require major reworking if an overlooked bit of research or incorrect theory is discovered, but that’s why such efforts are so important.
In Conclusion
A research project can be a major undertaking, often the capstone to an entire semester’s study and learning. That means the project should be based on research, study, data collection, analysis, writing, and review state Nerdify Reviews experts. Time management is essential, too, as, while plenty of time might be provided before the project is due, the actual time to work on the project might be limited. The more time you have to work on the project, the more time you have to ensure everything is accurate, well-researched, and well-documented.
