Critical Thinking & Academic Research

Investigating starts with understanding your assignment, finding a topic to research, identifying a problem, and establishing a thesis statement when necessary before starting to search for resources. 

Tips for Investigating and Before Starting Your Research:

1- Know the type of paper you are writing. Check with your classroom Professor's guidelines and requirements. 

Examining each assignment carefully will help you choose research resources accordingly.

Types of papers: Report - Usually descriptive; Analytical Paper- Involves comparisons, Argumentative Paper- Involves persuasion and evaluation

2- Identifying a topic is an essential part of the preparation. Avoid choosing a topic that is too broad if you are just required to write a concise paper. Always adjust your topic with the length of your paper, and be flexible with your topic. 

3- When choosing a topic, identifying a thesis statement will guide you throughout the research process and help you avoid wasting time on unnecessary resources. If you have a strong thesis statement, it is like a road map that guides you to the relevant resources you will need to support your statement. 

4- Make an outline of your paper, and know what resources you need according to your structure.

5- Create an annotated bibliography or summary of resources while gathering your resources.