Q&A for How to Conduct Academic Research

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  • Question
    How do you make your research original?
    Chris Hadley, PhD
    PhD in Cognitive Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
    Chris Hadley, PhD is part of the wikiHow team and works on content strategy and data and analytics. Chris Hadley earned his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from UCLA in 2006. Chris' academic research has been published in numerous scientific journals.
    PhD in Cognitive Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
    Expert Answer
    Think about building on other research, not creating something from scratch. Most research — in psychology and other fields — builds upon the findings of previous research.
  • Question
    How do you find a research question?
    Chris Hadley, PhD
    PhD in Cognitive Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
    Chris Hadley, PhD is part of the wikiHow team and works on content strategy and data and analytics. Chris Hadley earned his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from UCLA in 2006. Chris' academic research has been published in numerous scientific journals.
    PhD in Cognitive Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
    Expert Answer
    As you read, look for unanswered questions in the literature. Good research questions often start as an attempt to address something unexplained by past research or as an attempt to extend the findings of previous research to new situations or stimuli. In science, it’s also important that a research question be testable – meaning that it can be answered through experimentation.
  • Question
    How can I write a discussion?
    Community Answer
    A discussion section should provide your research insights based on your work. It should highlight points which are noteworthy, and might include surprising or unexpected findings, and why you suspect your results (interesting or otherwise) came to be. It can be used to set the stage for a recommendation on further research or experimentation within the conclusion.
  • Question
    How can I conduct research on teaching methods?
    Community Answer
    You can get a sample of students and use the different teaching methods on them. For example, if you want to see how kids react to verbal instruction, give them only verbal instruction for a week. Repeat for other methods and then compare the results.
  • Question
    Is agriculture a solution to economic development in South Africa?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Agriculture development feeds the nation and helps sustain development.
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