Feeling overwhelmed by your research commitments? Welcome to academic life! But with a little effort, you can streamline the research process, hopefully making life less stressful into the bargain. Check out our top five tips for ensuring efficient research to find out what you can do.
Too often, we know what we need to do but misjudge how long it will take. And this results in cramming all your research into short period.
Instead, though, you can make a plan as soon as you receive an assignment.
To do this, break the research down into steps and set aside time for each task you need to complete. You’ll then know exactly how much work you need to do and how long you will need to do it.
Part of efficient research is selecting the best sources for your project, as reading every single book or article on a subject would take far too long. What you need to do, then, is find the sources that are most relevant to your own work and focus on them. This may involve:
Skim reading can also be helpful if you need to find specific information in a long book or article. However, this is a skill, so make sure to slow down if you find yourself skipping key details.
Efficient research requires taking good notes, both when reading and in lectures. And while this might seem like a simple case of writing everything down as quickly as possible, this won’t be much help if you can’t understand your notes a week or a month later when you check them. The answer, then, is to strike a balance between speed and organisation by:
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This should leave you with in-depth notes that are easy to use.
Writing up your research will be much easier if you are organised. And this may come down to… filing! Okay, it’s not the most exciting prospect, we admit. But it is worth keeping your notes organised so that you can find them easily as and when needed. This may involve:
More generally, you’ll also want to create a tidy workspace for conducting research. This is especially important when you’re working from home, as it will help you avoid distractions.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling with something. Your supervisor or lecturer should be available to offer academic advice if required. And even little things – like asking a friend or family member for support – can help reduce the pressure you’re feeling.
When you have a lot of work to do, efficient research is vital. Make sure to:
And for extra efficiency, you may want to have your written work checked by a proofreader. This will save time spent looking for typos, allowing you to focus your efforts elsewhere.
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