Some of you may dread research, but it is an inevitable part of the student life. Even seasoned researchers feel drained and beat up. Research does come with challenges and can leave you feeling overwhelmed, so your worries are valid.

That’s why we’re here. As a platform for students, we’re rooting for you! To get you up to speed and succeed, here are five tips to help you in your research project!

1. Create a system.

The first thing that you might want to do is create a system. Why? Having a system can help you stay organised and focused. Even if you are still developing your research idea, creating a system may be beneficial. For example, you may establish a routine that starts with a brainstorming session, followed by canvassing reliable sources from the web, saving them in your browser’s bookmarks, and finally, annotating them. When you eventually find the research idea that works for you and begin writing the background and literature review, you can try a new system. If you’re doing a solo research project, you’re still not alone: don’t forget about the different apps and technological tools you can use to make things easier!

2. Maximise online tools.

You’re living in the digital era, so make sure to take advantage of the online tools available for you. Academic search engines and digital libraries will not fail you when you’re working on your RRL (review of related literature)! Explore the following websites to find credible sources and references!

• Google Scholar, a free, specialised search engine for journal articles, books, and other scientific publications

• BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), a global massive search engine especially for open electronic scientific sources, supervised by the Bielefeld University Library in Germany

• ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), an internet-based library of education research and information, sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education

• DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), a community-curated web directory that indexes and makes high-quality, open-access, peer-reviewed journals freely available to the public

• Global ETD Search, a searchable database of the international organisation Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD)

As you’re in the writing process, online thesauruses like Power Thesaurus or Merriam-Webster can aid you in varying your choice and use of words or finding accurate denotations. You can also use Grammarly, an online writing assistant, to correct grammatical errors and improve your overall writing. Are you looking for more apps for your student needs? Learn more in our article here!

3. Read through references.

Now, this tip is an oldie but a goodie. Indeed, you all have these apps and online tools now, but one of the easiest, tried, and tested ways to explore related literature is to read through references! When you have found a great article that supports your research, browse its reference list as it provides the sources and other necessary information the author has referred to in their work. In other words, the sources that helped the author write that great article can also be of help to you!

4. Reach out to the scientific community.

As a student and researcher, you should recognise when you need help and know how to ask for it. If you want to succeed in academics or life in general, you know that you don’t need to do everything alone. When you feel stuck, try approaching your research adviser or mentor (if you have one) and ask for advice. A good professor will provide support and ensure that you excel and reach your research goals. Furthermore, you can explore beyond the university and reach out to the scientific community as a whole! You can try asking for help from international professors and researchers through online forums. Besides being a platform wherein you can discover scientific publications, ResearchGate is a professional social networking site for scientists and researchers to exchange queries! Sign up now and learn from the greats!

5. Attend seminars, lectures, or conferences.

Research is just as essential as seminars, lectures, and conferences. When you attend these gatherings, you have the opportunity to listen to suggestions from experts, network for potential or future collaborations, stay updated with research trends, or immerse yourself in social activities that can aid you in your research journey. It is no doubt that you will meet new people as well, and they may be of the same age, status, mindset, or ambitions. This can motivate you to overcome your worries and pursue your academic dreams.

Final Tips

You just reached the end of the article! We see that you really want to succeed, so here’s a bonus tip: make an effort to keep an open mind as you work on your research project. If you just look for confirmation or answers to your research questions, you will be boxed in and limiting your strategy. In contrast, if you keep an open mind, you will learn deeply and attain profound insights.

Kindly share these tips with your fellow students if you find them helpful! Now, go and take on that research project and aim for success!