When searching library or archival databases, folks usually complain that “they can’t find anything on their topic.” The process can feel confusing, it can sometimes “take too long” and/or not yield results that you’re not looking for. In the last post in the #DoingResearch series, I aim to demystify the database search and give tips on how to work with primary sources.

There are so many different ways to approach a research problem. Some approach it theoretically, while others take a practical approach. Others use a disciplinary lens or an interdisciplinary lens. I cannot cover all the different approaches here, but what I can do is explain how to approach problem solving with an intersectional lens. This involves understanding two concepts — critical inquiry and critical praxis. While interrelated, each concept is unique.

Questions are fundamental to research. Writing is fundamental to research. If you want to get through the writing process and become proficient at editing your work, the first thing you must learn to do is devise questions and write them in such a way that anyone can understand them, including yourself. Questions help you communicate almost anything through words. The challenge is — how do you create questions that are robust enough for a research project?

This topic can elicit two reactions out of people. Either it strikes fear or it confuses. After taking a graduate class on this topic, some even feel like they don’t like research at all. I completely understand where all these perspectives are coming from. But here’s the reality, understanding your research philosophy and the two concepts that underpin it — epistemology and ontology — are like learning the fundamentals of driving.

Defining a research problem has to be one of the most difficult parts of the research process. How do you determine if your topic is “researchable?” What makes a project a research project? What does it mean to define a research problem? It doesn’t matter your level of training — from students to faculty, organizations to governments — defining a problem is difficult, but like scaling a mountain, it is not impossible.

I’m not going to lie, I love theory. But I’ve always understood theory, and the reasons why it matters to any research project. Without a theoretical point of view, “research” is not really research in terms of problem solving, critical inquiry, or scholarly study. Without theory, your “research” should be called an investigation. So, for example, if you wake up one morning and your pinky toe is swollen, you might declare “I need to research this symptom.” What you are really saying is, you are going to Google “swollen toe” and then read a bunch of stuff to confirm or rule out possible issues.