Original Research vs. Library Research

Have you ever done original research before?  I already have done an original research before and even during the process to answer questions about my research. I felt obligate to do it in a personal purpose because I have to be more involved in the topic to understand it.

 Based on what you learned in IM 204 or your own experience, what makes original research different from library research?  Based on my own experience, I believe both are really different from many perspectives. In other words, library research is more about gathering information that other people have collected on a topic, however an original research is more based on their own fashion strategy and design to come out with a rational idea on the type of issue you want to solve. This research is based on the type of information you want to collect to answer the question you are asking.

  How does library research support or guide original research?  Library research supports and guides original research in a fact that resources you will find in the library provide you more background ideas about the subject. Also, the resources oriente and give you a way where you should go. Then, give you information about what has been done or which studies have been done on the topic before. Also, give you how did people do that research.  At last, based on people’s researches you can judge if ideas and results did their studies address/ solve the problem.

 

 What are the pros and cons of library research, compared to original research? 

 Pros of library research numerous and among them we can cited the following which are important:

·         Uses universal cataloging systems that classify and organize all resources

·         More available sources such as books, newspapers, magazines, and other resources that have been edited and reviewed priory to their publication

·         Provides access to encyclopedia and print reference works

Cons are

• Resources can be checked out by other patrons and, therefore, may not always be available.
• A library's publications cannot provide up-to-the-minute news and information the way Web sites can.
•    Closes after hours and takes time.

Pros for original research:    More quantitative and qualitative research   Follow a certain methods and the good of this is that you are involve in the research means that there is a better understanding of the topic  Testing of a hypothesis using surveys or experiments or either problem statements about the population you wnat to identify/quantified/solve/improve...  Gathers numerical data and measurements from the subjects in order to come to a conclusion or make a decision Actions, behaviors, or attitudes of subjects must be measurable to explain phenomena Research design such as experiment, case study, longitudinal  design, cross-sectional design  Survey Questionnaire Interview Observation Analysis of document Cons are : ·         Take more compare to library research to be solve ·         Have to pay attention to the methods used and follow the required step because if not can be rejected by other because of the inconsistently

What critical thinking skills are involved in both types of research? 

· Interpretation

· evaluation

·  explanation

·  inference

· self-regulation

· Good analysis and evidence through observation of document, facts, and people involved…etc.

· Context

· Relevant criteria for making the judgment well

· Applicable methods or techniques for forming the judgment

· Applicable theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question asked

 What critical thinking skill, in your opinion, is the most important for library research? 

    I believe among of the critical thinking skills cited above, interpretation, evaluation, and self-regulation are the most important because you need to know how evaluate what you are reading/ watching. You need to interpret data and statistics numbers provides in documents and then self-regulate yourself.

 For original research?

   I believe that the application of methods or techniques for forming a judgment is relevant in an original research. Then, other skills such as theoretical constructs for understanding the problem and the question should be set up. At the end of the research inference skill is important here because without it we cannot conclude clearly.