Research process Examples
Example One:
I don't know what to write about. I only know I should think about issues that are important in the community of Boyle Heights. Maybe I google articles on Boyle Heights, or visit some links on the library website, and maybe watch a few Youtube videos as well. I notice that a topic that keeps coming up is gentrification, and this interests me because I have heard people talk about that before.
So I read an article like this one in Boyle Heights Beat and this article from the Washington Post Then I watch a video about it like this one:
"Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighbourhood fights gentrification"
Now it is time to dig deeper, so I can go to our school's databases, or other databases where I can find credible sources. So I go to our digital library and find these:
"The 'Artwashing' of America: The Battle for the Soul of Los Angeles"
"A CASE STUDY..."
When researching gentrification, I read other words like revitalization and reinvestment, so I start looking up these different terms, which gets me to thinking about a term I once heard called "brain drain." Searching this phrase leads me to an idea called talent retention, when I find this article:
"Talent Retention as a Community Development Strategy"
The idea of gentrification also gets me to thinking about lack of affordable housing, discrimination in the housing market, and inequality in neighborhood infrastructure when I read these articles:
"Coalition Lands $6M for Affordable Apartments: Funding Aims to Dismantle Racism in Housing Market"
"In Southeast Los Angeles, Your Front Yard Might Be a Toxic Waste Site..."
"A SHADY DIVIDE..."
What has all this research given me? At this point I have thought about how to define gentrification, and how it relates to other terms being discussed in the same context, like "brain drain," revitalization, reinvestment, talent retention, and many others. This has given me other keywords I can use to expand my search. I also have begun to think about my topic through the lens of race, class, education, environmental justice, and more. So, researching the topic of gentrification has taken me on several different paths. When I found something interesting to me, I continued researching, even though I might not have agreed with everything I read, or would choose to even use all of the research for my final project I am working on. So how does it benefit me to do this?
1) I can now refine my topic for research and writing, and I have found reliable sources to CITE in my research.
2) I can understand and rebut counterclaims to any position I may take.
3) I am prepared to advocate for, or debate against, various perspectives on this subject.
This is why finding your topic IS RESEARCH. So do not let it overwhelm you, let it excite you and help you to find your own voice to add to the conversation.
So I read an article like this one in Boyle Heights Beat and this article from the Washington Post Then I watch a video about it like this one:
"Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighbourhood fights gentrification"
Now it is time to dig deeper, so I can go to our school's databases, or other databases where I can find credible sources. So I go to our digital library and find these:
"The 'Artwashing' of America: The Battle for the Soul of Los Angeles"
"A CASE STUDY..."
When researching gentrification, I read other words like revitalization and reinvestment, so I start looking up these different terms, which gets me to thinking about a term I once heard called "brain drain." Searching this phrase leads me to an idea called talent retention, when I find this article:
"Talent Retention as a Community Development Strategy"
The idea of gentrification also gets me to thinking about lack of affordable housing, discrimination in the housing market, and inequality in neighborhood infrastructure when I read these articles:
"Coalition Lands $6M for Affordable Apartments: Funding Aims to Dismantle Racism in Housing Market"
"In Southeast Los Angeles, Your Front Yard Might Be a Toxic Waste Site..."
"A SHADY DIVIDE..."
What has all this research given me? At this point I have thought about how to define gentrification, and how it relates to other terms being discussed in the same context, like "brain drain," revitalization, reinvestment, talent retention, and many others. This has given me other keywords I can use to expand my search. I also have begun to think about my topic through the lens of race, class, education, environmental justice, and more. So, researching the topic of gentrification has taken me on several different paths. When I found something interesting to me, I continued researching, even though I might not have agreed with everything I read, or would choose to even use all of the research for my final project I am working on. So how does it benefit me to do this?
1) I can now refine my topic for research and writing, and I have found reliable sources to CITE in my research.
2) I can understand and rebut counterclaims to any position I may take.
3) I am prepared to advocate for, or debate against, various perspectives on this subject.
This is why finding your topic IS RESEARCH. So do not let it overwhelm you, let it excite you and help you to find your own voice to add to the conversation.