E-mail
Print
OR-100
Introduction to the MSOE Library
Do You Need To Do Research?
How do you do research?
Or, maybe a better question is, Do you need to do research?
If you have to write a paper, look up something for a lab report, answer some extra credit questions, or work on some other kind of assignment for a course at MSOE, do you need to do library research?
Well, it seems as if the answer is: "Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don't."
Sometimes a professor tells you that you need to look up an article in the library. Or sometimes a professor tells you that you have to consult a specific reference book to find an answer, or that you have to write a paper with three references. Other times, all the answers you need may be in your textbook, or they may be in handouts from a professor.
Sometimes, though, a professor doesn't say anything about the library.
So, do you need to do research?
The answer is that the quality of your college education is very much in your own hands. Unlike your experience in high school, a lot of things are up to you now. You can decide to do something, or you can decide not to do something.
Among other things, college is a time when you "learn how to learn." This means that you often do a great deal of learning on your own. For this reason, some degree of research for most courses is a good idea, even if a professor does not specifically require you to do research. Research can help you to clarify concepts and definitions. It can provide you with a context for something, and give you valuable background information, in addition to answering specific questions. It can also help you to learn more about a subject if it's something that really interests you. Finally, when you are required to write a research paper, or do a project that features a written deliverable, good library research can be crucial. It can significantly increase the professionalism of a paper or a project -- even an applied project.