Welcome to ECTC Library's courseResearch is about collecting information to solve a problem, answer a question or just to learn more about something. It's something you do every day, whenever you look up a new restaurant or decide which phone to buy.
College research is only slightly different; college research uses specific resources and follows a more formal process, but it still involves defining your information need, collecting information, and solving a problem or answering a question effectively and ethically. It's important to understand that all information is not created equal and that there is skill involved in finding and using the right information to support your discussion. These skills can be learned, and will be practiced during the research projects you will do as a college student.
If you ever have questions about these skills, contact a librarian!
College research projects are also an opportunity to learn and practice critical thinking, reasoning, adaptability, applied learning, decision making, and professionalism; these are among the skills identified by studies as being essential for your success as a student. They are also essential for a productive workplace, a well-informed democracy, and healthy communities!
By completing this course, you'll develop an understanding of the information landscape, receive an overview of the research process, learn about how to develop your topic into a manageable research question or thesis, and cultivate skills to help you locate, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically.
Every page has a link to the ECTC Library and a link to contact your librarian. Content in the sidebar allows you to navigate between modules, get help with the databases, get answers to frequently asked questions about the library or doing research, and reach out to a librarian or writing tutor.
Take a quick tour of the ECTC Library Webpage
