pssssst...
YOUR RESEARCH DOESN'T BEGIN IN A SEARCH BAR
Ouch! I know. That one hurts a little - because it's the first place we go when we need to do some research.
We read our essay prompt.
Circle a few key terms.
Open a new tab.
Type in our highlighted words.
And, skim through lists of titles to find one that catches our attention.
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And that's the problem.
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Title-scrolling isn't a research strategy. It's just curiosity-inducing.
{ insert research rabbit hole #1 }
It's the academic equivalent of doom-scrolling.
What's missing is a system that allows you to screen a text before it eats up any of your time, and gives everything you read a purpose, and a clear connection to your essay and the argument you're building - so you don't end up drowning in information.
When it comes to research, what's interesting isn't the same as what's useful.
Knowing what texts to read and put your time and energy into can feel like a gamble. You stumble across the title of an article or book that sounds useful and, a couple hours later, find yourself thinking, Is this even relevant? Do these five pages of notes even matter?
Or, maybe you've read a bunch of texts hoping that at some point everything would just come together - only to find yourself 10 texts deep, too many pages of notes to count, and no sense of what to do with all the information you've collected.
And - that's the moment that much too familiar and downward spiralling thought appears, Maybe I just need to read one more text?
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It's easy to think that over-reading, over-thinking, over-noting - are signs of being a poor student. They're not. They're signs that you rushed to the search bar too quickly.
[ Enter Research with Direction ]
the tutorial that builds direction into your research and stops second-guessing and endless reading before they start
Search bars lead you to answers -
but only when you show up with the right questions.
[ this is the part most students skip ]
It's not about reading more or finding better sources.
It's about knowing what you're looking for before you jump into a search bar, open a database, or start reading an article. (Sounds a bit like dating, right?)
Research gives you answers. But, only after you've taken the time to figure out the questions you need answered.
[ what questions do I need to answer? ]
OPEN A SEARCH BAR
[ which question will this text help me answer? ]
READ THE TEXT
[ here's what I see as part of the answer]
MAKE A NOTE
* LOOK AT ALL THAT DIRECTION! *
Research with Direction doesn't teach you how to find more information.
It teaches you to ask the right questions and make smart decisions before second-guessing and overwhelm have a chance to jump in and steal the show.
RESEARCH WITHOUT DIRECTION
SOUNDS LIKE
Hmm, where should I start? What key words should I type in the search bar?
This text sounds interesting! Let's start here.
[first source]
Hmm, is this important? Should I include this in my notes? I'll just write it down in case.
[five sources later]
I've made a ton of notes. Do I even need all this? Should I keep reading? It's going to take hours to figure out what's important.
Ugh. I'll just take a few more notes and read one more text. Then, I'll see where I'm at.
RESEARCH WITH DIRECTION
SOUNDS LIKE
Alright, I need to figure *this* out.
This text sounds like it could be useful.
Let me screen it to see if it's worth my time.
Yep. This text will help me work out *this* part of my essay.
Hmm, most of this article isn't relevant. But - this one section is definitely important.
With these notes, I can start writing one section of my essay tonight.
When you research with direction, you decide what's important, what's not and what might be before you begin reading so you control your research - not the other way around.
- EVERYTHING CHANGES WHEN YOU -
take control of your research and turn the search bar and its sources into your cronies.
trying to figure out if an article sounds good
asking yourself how this article could be useful
reading an entire text because you've already started it
screening a text before you give it your time
making random, on-the-spot decisions about what is & isn't important
deciding before you read what you
need, might need & don't need
reaching for one more source to make sure you're ready to write
knowing when you've got all the material you need
filling your notes with quotes and summaries
taking notes that will actually help you start writing
​
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS DIRECTION FOLLOWS
AND - HERE'S WHAT YOU ACTUALLY LEARN
INSIDE RESEARCH WITH DIRECTION
SECTION 1 - RESEARCH PREPARATION
​
HOW TO WRITE SUPPORTING ESSAY QUESTIONS AND...
-
create a set of supporting questions that give your reading direction
-
recognize the difference between strong and weak supporting questions
-
use different types of supporting questions to add complexity to your thinking and analysis
​
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SECTION 2 - JOURNEY TO THE SEARCH BAR
HOW TO GATHER CREDIBLE SOURCES & FIRST IDEAS AND...
-
take inventory of your notebook and what you already know
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screen for credible and worthwhile sources
-
write a work thesis statement to keep your keep your thinking and your research on track
​
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SECTION 3 - TAKING USEFUL NOTES
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HOW TO READ TO SAY SOMETHING, NOT JUST REPEAT SO YOU...
-
discern between essay notes and study notes
-
know what to include in your noes and what to leave out
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use counterarguments and synthesis to challenge your thinking and build a strong argument
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Oh, and here's a sneak peek of what it looks like...
PREVIEW REAL PAGES FROM THE TUTORIAL
[ cover page ]
[ cover page ]
AND, IF YOU'RE THINKING
BUT HOW DOES THIS REALLY WORK?
LET'S DIG INTO IT A LITTLE MORE.
WHAT GOOD ESSAY HELP ACTUALLY DOES
MOST
ESSAY HELP
RESEARCH WITH DIRECTION
shows you how to create a list of supporting questions your essay needs to answer so you spend your time reading relevant information
teaches you how to screen a text so you can distinguish between interesting and useful
teaches you how to discern and organize different types of questions to build complexity into your argument
IT'S NOT A COINCIDENCE YOU SPEND LESS TIME SECOND-GUESSING AND OVER-READING.
RESEARCH WITH DIRECTION REPLACES DOUBT WITH DECISIONS.
THIS IS FOR YOU IF...
Your research usually begins with a search bar and a few key words
You read every word of every text.
And you read every text in full.
As you read, you ask questions like:
Is this important? Should I include this? Am I ready to write?
You want to have a better idea of what you're looking for before you get sucked into an "interesting" but pretty useless source
You want your notes to include more than quotes, summaries and page numbers