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Research as inquiry
What do information literacy abilities involve?
Formulating a research question means exploring an existing uncertainty in an area of concern which requires further examination.
Research is all about information and how you use and apply that information. This means that you need to have a plan to fulfil your information needs and apply information to your research topic.
Ask the following questions:
Scope
Think about:
Breaking complex questions into simple ones requires problem-solving skills. Look at the following diagram to help you think about what you need to do to find relevant information to answer your research topic.
Brainstorm the research topic
Remember: Research is all about information and how one decides to use and apply that information. Mapping out a topic enhances the retrievability of the information. If your topic consists of more than one component, for example, An analysis of the domesticity of animals, you can break down the topic into components and research it separately. This will provide you with an understanding of the topic and you would be able to get the picture as a whole.You must then find a way to apply it as a whole. Meaning it must always be relevant to his main topic. Example:
Map the research topic
If you map your research topic, it provides structure. You can then decide on how to categorise the information:
Write each main idea, major heading, or term down and then divide these into major divisions.
This map illustrates some of the key characteristics of concept maps.
Fraser, K. (1996). Student centred teaching: the development and use of conceptual frameworks.
Herdsa Green Guide. ACT, Australia: HERDSA:3
While you are planning your research strategies, you also need to think about the research approach you are going to take. Research is the most widely used tool to increase knowledge about something and someone. Two standard ways of conducting research are: qualitative research and quantitative research. While qualitative research relies on verbal narratives like spoken or written data, quantitative research uses logical or statistical observations to draw conclusions.
Qualitative research
Quanitative research