Introduction to Research and the Writing Process

1. Role of Research in Composition

Research can be defined as the process of finding facts, data, statistics, and ideas from other writers and sources in order to support the ideas in your own work. Conducting research and reporting the results of research are fundamental to academic work in almost every discipline, as well as in many professional contexts.

While research in itself may seem like an enormous task when you are just starting a project, it is important to understand that effective research is a straightforward, step-by-step process.

By practicing effective research techniques and becoming familiar with the tools that are available to researchers, you will begin to see research as a valuable part of an organized system of study that includes discovery, invention, critical thinking, and clear communication.

term to know

Research

The process of finding facts, data, statistics, and ideas from other writers and sources in order to support your own ideas.

2. Research in the Writing Process

If you've taken English Composition I, then you know that the writing process consists of five main stages:

• Pre-writing
• Drafting
• Revising
• Editing
• Proofreading

By mastering the essentials of effective research, you can train yourself to think more carefully about your work at every stage of the writing process.

IN CONTEXT

You probably know how much a good quotation can help to emphasize an important point, but you may not be conscious of how helpful general background research can be in the very earliest phases of your writing, when you are just beginning to refine your topic and clarify your thesis and argument.

As you continue to build your experience as a writer throughout this course, you will see that effective research allows you to appeal to specific audiences and more clearly define the purpose of your writing.