Graduate research is not always required, but is necessary for degrees with a research component. The first step is developing a central question, followed by extensive research and approval from faculty. Research can take years and requires attention to detail and organizational skills, with methodology and logic being important to the thesis committee.
Graduate research is not required for all types of graduate or postgraduate degrees. Many programs substitute a different but often no less stringent thesis requirement, which does not necessarily involve original research. In graduate film programs, for example, students may need to complete a film or write a screenplay to fulfill their thesis requirements. Generally, graduate research is required only for completion of degrees that have a natural research component associated with the professional field, such as physical and life sciences, humanities, philosophy, or psychology.
The first step in completing graduate research is to develop the central question that the project will focus on answering. Without a precise question or central objective, the student cannot know what he will need to research or what steps to take. Students may spend several months developing their thesis question and may need to do extensive preliminary research to determine the appropriate way to ask the question they are interested in examining. Often, faculty or thesis advisors will need to approve the question or thesis project before the student can begin graduate research.
Survey collection and analysis can take years to complete. There are many different types of research, and each graduate project will have its own set of requirements for the amount and type of preparation required. The researcher may include scientific experiments, interviews, reading of historical documentation and field work. Along the way, the student must conduct each survey using the fundamental skills required of a professional in their field. Attention to detail, proper understanding of experimental methods, and logical thinking may be more crucial to the outcome of graduate research than the actual success of the thesis project.
Graduate research often requires superior organizational skills and unyielding attention to detail. As a thesis project is often used to measure how well a student can apply their research skills, it is important to clearly and carefully document all research methods. Even if research findings dispel a student’s initial assumptions or hypotheses, it is often the methodology and logic applied in the research process, rather than the findings, that are important to the thesis committee.
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