Develop Research Skills in Students

Strong research skills are foundational tools for students, empowering them to engage in independent intellectual inquiry. Furthermore, research skills build students’ academic confidence levels and prepare them for smoother transitions into college and university study programs, where research skills are requirements.

Below, we’ll do our own research on why these skills matter, why many students initially struggle with research, and how students can take advantage of proven strategies to start strengthening their research skills right away.

Why Research Skills Matter

Strong research skills are essential for asking challenging questions and responding to them rigorously. As part of their Framework for Information Literacy, The American Library Association writes that “Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.” In both scholarly and professional fields, they write, research “enables the conversation to move forward and strengthens one’s voice in the conversation.” Further, practicing research supports independent and critical thinking skills, empowering students to engage with and define “different types of authority” and giving them the tools to “determine the credibility of sources”. 

Developing core research skills during high school is a great strategy to set students up for success in college. College courses challenge students to use research methods independently, relying on their own capacities for critical and incisive inquiry when reading and analysing information. Adding to the challenge, college professors usually provide less frequent guidance than high school teachers do. According to a recent study, about 40% of high school graduates report feeling unprepared for college or unsure of their level of preparedness. Arming students with research skills can boost their confidence levels and ease the transition to university-level academics.

Core Research Skills Students Need

Question formulation. Before formulating a clear thesis statement, the research process starts with asking good questions. Identifying the right research question (RQ) is not as simple as it may sound, though. According to Vanderbilt University, a strong RQ is one that:

• You are curious about

• Tries to solve a new problem (or an old problem in a new way)

• Is neither too broad nor too narrow

• Is scoped appropriately and can be answered given the time and resources available

Vanderbilt also notes that good RQs may be argumentative: that is, they may lead to a clear stance or an evidence-based argument, while others may start with a neutral topic. Depending on your specific field, there will almost certainly be additional factors to consider when crafting RQs.

Source evaluation. Determining the credibility of a source is a core skill in research, as well as in professional fields. Printed sources such as scholarly books and journal articles tend to be reputable, but should still be read critically. Online sources, on the other hand, can vary widely in credibility. The University of Virginia endorses the “P.R.O.V.E.N.” method for critically evaluating sources:

• Purpose: Why and how was the source created? Who is the intended audience? Who, if anyone, sponsored its creation?

• Relevance: How closely does the source’s topic match your research question? How valuable is it for your specific needs?

• Objectivity: Is the information presented completely, thoroughly, and professionally? Do they use emotional language?

• Verifiability: Do the authors cite reputable sources so that readers can fact-check their work?

• Expertise: How authoritative are the authors? Are they experts on the topic?

• Newness: How recent and up-to-date is the research? When was it published? This is particularly important in scientific and technological fields of research.

Analysis and synthesis. Finally, after posing a strong RQ and finding and evaluating sources, researchers must be able to analyze information and data and then synthesize their findings into clear results. The Purdue University Writing Center demonstrates how analytical frameworks can be used to break down and better understand information, whereas synthesis is the process of putting information together in the form of an explanation or an argument. These are two different skills that go hand in hand in research methodologies.

Why Students Often Struggle With Research

Many students find it challenging to make the jump from classroom learning into hands-on research. There are multiple factors at play that can make this transition difficult.

First of all, research can sometimes feel overwhelming. When students are asked to find and then fill knowledge gaps in fields they are relatively new to, it can initially feel like an impossible task. Many students feel pressure to be knowledgeable on an entire discipline before beginning research, even on a highly scoped topic within that discipline. 

For another challenge, professors’ expectations of student research projects are sometimes vague and lack clear direction. Unlike high school assignments, there isn’t always a clear template for how to perform well in research. That’s because conducting research inherently involves facing novel challenges that typically don’t have a clear, established solution. When there is no specific target or outcome to aim for, some students who prefer more structure can feel lost and may consequently struggle to stay on track.

Finally, when students get off track, there is limited guidance to help point them in the right direction again. Professors often juggle multiple responsibilities (teaching, research, administration, grant-writing, etc.). As a result, they may not be able to meet with each student one-on-one — and first and second year students are typically the lowest priorities. For students who work better with individual instruction and guidance, this lack of individual support can be a major hurdle facing them immediately when they arrive for their college or university program.

Strategies That Build Strong Research Skills

Here’s the good news: a number of proven strategies exist to help students build and strengthen their research skills over time. For instance, project-based learning (PBL) is a method known to prepare students effectively for hands-on research. PBL is a learner-centered method meant to engage students in direct action. According to the Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning, PBL helps students “develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, project management, communication, and problem-solving,” all of which are core skills for research.

Strong mentorship and feedback are also valuable resources that students interested in research can and should actively seek out. Most good research takes place with heaps of help and support behind the scenes. This includes most professional researchers, who often work closely with mentors, looking to them frequently for constructive criticism and guidance. Experienced mentors can support high school students’ development of research skills by:

• Helping them identify and leverage their strengths

• Pointing out areas for growth in both hard skills and soft skills

• Modeling best research practices including data management, scholarly writing, and collaboration

• Advising and guiding on specific research methodologies

• Providing constructive feedback at established checkpoints

Finally, taking an iterative approach to research can help students strengthen their skills while working on projects and assignments. Iterative research makes use of cyclical methods to revise and refine topics, questions, and arguments. The practice requires students to engage in frequent critical examination of their own work, leading to refined problem formulation skills, strengthened analytical reasoning, and enhanced resilience.

Turning Research Into Meaningful Outcomes

Communication is an essential skill for researchers in any field. In addition to communicating well with mentors and co-workers, it’s crucial to communicate the results of your hard work with the broader research community in your discipline. This is typically done through presentations, papers, and in some cases, real-world applications (e.g. by demonstrating designs and prototypes). 

Research presentations can take several forms, including:

• Oral presentations

• Poster presentations

• Webinars

• Panel discussions

• Symposia

Delivering great presentations requires knowing how to structure and adapt your content for different audiences and contexts. Excellent presenters practice deliberately and remember to speak clearly, confidently, and naturally.

Research papers, unlike presentations, are written records of processes and findings. Writing high quality research papers demands a specific set of communication skills that can be developed by reading published articles by established authors whose work you admire. If aiming to publish your own work, it is helpful to have at least one target journal in mind before you start writing up your paper, as each journal has their own length and style requirements.

Finally, research can often lead to real-world applications. Depending on the field, these can be engineering designs, prototypes, software packages, demonstrations, or even creative outcomes such as artistic performances.

Conclusion

Research methods and processes can be learned at any stage. Students who invest in their own research skills during high school build critical thinking skills, improve information literacy, and grow as oral and written communicators. Furthermore, they will be better prepared to ask challenging questions and provide rigorous responses in academic as well as professional contexts.

Polygence provides structured pathways to help students build essential research skills right away. Our Research Mentorship Program is acclaimed for connecting driven students with experienced program mentors to guide them on research projects of their own choosing. Participating students receive ten one-on-one mentorship sessions with PhD-level experts, as well as access to writing and showcasing support modules.

In addition, Polygence Pods are opportunities for students to engage with cutting-edge topics through research-oriented courses. Pods take place over an accelerated time frame of just six-weeks, making them ideal for students looking to gain research experience and foundational knowledge before selecting an independent project.

Polygence also offers Work Lab, an industry mentorship program that places high-achieving students within top startup companies. Students work alongside cutting-edge founders on real-world projects, gaining professional exposure while building intellectual maturity.

Have you done your research on Polygence? Apply now to build research skills that strengthen your voice in the conversation!