Academic Research Booklet

48

X DO NOT BE DESCRIPTIVE

√ INSTEAD BE REFLECTIVE

Although I spent time carefully researching my initial topic I struggled to find enough resources, after discussion with my supervisor I decided to amend the title. The time I spent researching wasn’t lost however as it helped me to better understand where to find information going forward. One challenge I face is deciding on the information I don’t need as I found plenty that interests me but which isn’t strictly related to my research question. My next step will be to organise and prioritise the information I have. The writing process was more challenging than I expected but I now understand how to write in a more formal, academic style and have developing knowledge of how to cite and reference information. Through the research process my topic evolved and changed based on what I found, to meet this I also had to change my methodology. Learning a flexible approach to research has been valuable and I can see other areas where this might be beneficial such as TOK lessons. It was surprising just how much time a proper study like this can take but having now finished I recognise how important it is to create a schedule and stick to it. I am proud of the way I approached my research; I learnt how to critically evaluate sources and identify gaps in my knowledge.

I couldn’t find enough resources for the topic I wanted to do so I switched it to…

It was hard to narrow down my research question because I found so much information.

Although the writing process was more challenging than I expected, I really enjoyed this piece of work.

I felt my initial plans weren’t appropriate for the topic. As I continued my research I realised that the approach I wanted to take with my assessment wouldn’t work. I found this process long and time consuming but I learnt a lot about a topic I’m interested in.

I am proud of my research.