I have chosen to do research on how to run a private Christian preschool. So far, I have been reading resources to inform on how to determine the difference between high-quality research and self-publish research. I can now tell the difference between the two. Those resources have become vital to my understanding of high-quality research. Another form of a method that has helped me in my growth to become a more confident user of research is the research chart. The research chart helps me to determine whether the articles or journals are published work of professionals. There are certain things that high-quality research article or journal should have, and this chart gives me things to look for, so I can determine if the article or journal is of high-quality. Although, I am starting to learn how to do my own research, and determine the difference between good and fake research, I am still a little scared.
So, if there is anything you guys could suggest that could help me with this process or this course? I would be glad to hear your feedback. This class is new to me, and if you have already done something like this in your previous course feel free to share your insight.
Here are some resources I found to help you understand research articles and journals:
Evaluating web pages. (2007). Duke University Library. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://library.duke.edu/services/instruction/libraryguide/evalwebpages.html
Locating and Evaluating Scholarly Articles. (2011). University of Maryland University College Library. Retrieved March 10, 2012, from http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm
I am feeling anxious as well. This is all very new to me and I am definitely out of my comfort zone! I wish you all the luck in your research. I really wish there was some insight I could give you, but I don't think I would be of much help. Good luck on your journey through this course. I think it is going to really help us achieve our professional goals.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all a little nervous with this course. When I logged in the first week and saw the number of assignments due each week, I thought to myself "How can anyone that works a full-time job complete all of these?" Once I saw how each assignment breaks apart different aspects of the research process, my mind eased a little. I have had some hiccups though in developing a "practical and workable" research question. Any thoughts if you read my blog this week would be greatly appreciated. I think this class about research will help all of us to be even better-informed about the current issues and trends in early childhood.
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DeleteThank you all for you advice and concerns. Goodk luck to all of you....
DeleteErica,
ReplyDeleteI am also nervous and anxious about this class. The title Building Research Competencies was very intimidating at first. Hopefully, through the support of all of our classmates, we will all succeed and become better researchers. Thanks for sharing the helpful links about finding scholarly articles. I will be sure to check them out because I know I can benefit from them as well. One thing that I do is always ask questions if I am confused about something. Sometimes I feel like I am asking a question that I should know the answer to, but I just want to do well and clarify if I am doing the right thing. Be sure to always check the Q & A forum for clarification!
Kathryn
Thanks for the advice Kathryn.
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