In this day and age, it may seem silly to talk about research skills. You can plug any topic into an internet search engine and get lots of results. However, you need to remember that not everything that you read is true ā particularly on the internet. Good research skills can help you:
- Remember what you read
- Determine the validity of information
- Weed out the truth
- Write better reports and make better presentations
- Become more knowledgeable about the topics that you research
- Be credible to your peers and co-workers
Developing good research skills requires that you have a good grasp on:
- Reading efficiently and effectively
- Critical thinking
- Note-taking techniques
- Time management and organizational skills
- Self-confidence and self-motivation
- Patience!
Food for Thought: You will also get a lot more out of your research skills if you work on your writing and presentation skills.
