Original Inquiry: A Guide to Research for Undergraduates

A short and practical guide that aims to build a complete set of transferable skills in original research and, more broadly, to foster good habits in information literacy.

Original Inquiry is a guide to research tailored to the needs of first- and second-year college students, regardless of major. Its aim is to familiarize early undergraduates with inquiry-driven original research by guiding them through the process of designing their own research questions and carrying out their own research projects. Throughout, the book stresses the importance of discovery, knowledge creation, and information literacy, and helps students connect their own interests to current areas of research and debate within their chosen fields of study.

Rather than focusing solely on the research paper, Original Inquiry engages students fully in the research process, making the text applicable to various research assignments and enabling students to develop the broad skills and flexibility needed to tackle all manner of research challenges and opportunities.

Three sample source texts are included—a tertiary, a substantive, and a scholarly source—each closely annotated for student reference. As well, three sample student projects are included: a research essay, a presentation, and a research poster.

A number of key concepts and skills receive close attention:
• gaining familiarity with a full variety of source types: primary, secondary, and tertiary; and popular, substantive, and scholarly;
• formulating and adjusting research questions;
• evaluating source quality and the types of evidence they provide;
• devising a system for effective reading and annotating of sources;
• building a robust research archive;
• responding to evidence;
• synthesizing research findings;
• and highlighting significance in conclusions.