The research process involves identifying what you want to find out, then determining how you are going to find this out, or measure it, and where you can find out this information. All aspects of university learning from exploring a new topic, to doing a final year dissertation involve some aspect of researching.
Scroll down for our recommended strategies and resources.
It is important to have a clear question or problem to research as everything else you do relates back to what you are trying to find out. A way of testing whether what you are reading or investigating is relevant is always to ask, ‘How does this relate to my question?’ See the guide below to developing research questions. If you are in a Healthcare subject you may also find the PICO model helpful for creating questions.
There needs to be a structured process or method for investigating a research question. This can be as simple as having a logical and well-documented search strategy to more complex qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. See our pages on Finding Sources and Research Methods for more guidance:
The Library is the best place to start as there are quality sources and expert help available. Begin with the Library guides to teach yourself good search strategies. Also look at your course resource help pages for more specialist sources, plus the contact details of your Academic Liaison Librarian who can help you find the sources you need.
Researching is a messy process that can involve a lot of going back and forth, becoming stuck or side-tracked, and finding new inspiration. Therefore, it’s important to have a plan of what you are trying to find out and the different steps involved in doing it. You can revise and update your plan to keep moving forwards. See our page on planning for more useful strategies:
The research process is complex and often involves finding, organising and synthesising a lot of information. Some people find that this process can be made more manageable by the use of generative AI tools. The Library has produced a guide which explores the benefits and risks of using AI for research, and suggests some current AI research tools and how to use them: