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How do I research a topic if the data I want is locked behind a pay wall?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can try to find other sources of that data. A research librarian may be able to help you. If the data you need is proprietary data, contact the owner of the data and ask if you can access it. Let them know you're working on a project for school and aren't going to profit from the access. Most authors or publishers will allow limited access to proprietary data for educational purposes, but even if they don't, it doesn't hurt to ask.

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Question

How do I prepare questions for research?

Community Answer

Think about what information you want to gather and then turn them into questions. For example, if I'm researching red pandas, I'll brainstorm what I need to learn about them. What is the average size of a red panda? might be a question I'd write down.

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Question

When does research begin?

Austin Henson

Community Answer

You should begin researching your topic as soon as you can, but before you write about it. Be sure to use reliable sources like encyclopedias or academic websites -- those sources are proven to be factual and accurate.

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Question

Why do I have to know my topic?

Community Answer

Having knowledge of the topic makes it easier to research and discern valuable information from worthless information. It's not a necessity, but it's very helpful.

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Question

Do I need to have money before I research something?

Community Answer

No, you do not really need money to research a topic. Most topics can be researched fully online and/or using your local library.

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Question

What information should I consider before starting research on a specific topic?

Ravenwolf123

Community Answer

The information you must first consider really depends on what you want to research. Get some basic information on your subject before you start conducting full-out research.

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Question

Can I do research for my own benefit?

Community Answer

Of course. You can do research on any topic for any reason!

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Question

I am totally confused choosing a topic for research. How can I choose a topic?

Community Answer

Think about what you are most interested in. Maybe there is something you've always wondered about or always wanted to know more about. Researching something you are interested in will make you more successful.

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Question

How do I find information about my country's history?

Community Answer

You can just Google your country's name and look through the information that comes up. You could also do some research on books that have been written about your country.

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