Welcome to Laurier Library's presentation on "University versus Highschool Research". This presentation will outline the similarities and differences between the research you did back in high school and the research you should be now doing in your university career. During this presentation, you will learn to identify and articulate specific features of academic (or University) research. Let's begin! Page 1 of 11
During your high school career you have probably written essays that are more personal in nature and that presented your thoughts, feelings, and opinions on a subject, and that may not have required many other sources of information At University, you will be called on to undertake a much more in-depth and rigorous kind of research, generally known as academic or scholarly research. In many courses, this often culminates in the production of a research essay. Research has many aspects: exploring ideas, problem solving, argument making - all in relation to what others have written. Page 2 of 11
There are two main types of research done at the university level: Primary Research, and Secondary Research. Primary Research is essentially the study of a subject through first hand investigation. Whereas Secondary Research examines studies that others have made on a particular subject, Primary Research is concerned with that information which is gathered by direct research. Examples of Primary Research include analyzing a literary or historical text, conducting a survey or an interview, or carrying out a lab experiment. Page 3 of 11
Secondary Research, as stated earlier, is the examination of studies that other researchers have made on a subject. Examples include articles and books about political issues, historical events, scientific debates, or literary works. There are several other differences to note between high school and university research, and high school papers and university research essays. This next portion of the presentation will outline some of the most important ones. Page 4 of 11
Let's begin with research. In high school, research tends to be quite general; far from exhaustive. You may have been required to use only online resources and no thought was given to the scholastic merit of such sources. The sources that were used consisted of general online encyclopedias like Wikipedia and it is likely that only one line of argumentation was considered. Let's compare this with how you will be expected to research in your university years. In university, research is often specific to a particular topic and can be remarkably in-depth. You will be required to consult a broad variety of sources, both print and online. In addition, university research heavily values "peer-reviewed" material that is written and critiqued by experts in a particular field. Finally, you must ensure that you consider many different arguments and evidence as you research. Let's move on to essay structure. Page 5 of 11
In high school, essays tend to be structured in a standard "three-point" format with the content consisting of five paragraphs: an introduction, three points, and a conclusion. This is not the case in university. In university, there is no set number of points you will be required to use and you should utilize as many paragraphs as necessary. Ultimately, your essay should always be structured to serve your argument in the best way possible. Page 6 of 11
Concerning the topic of paragraphs, you may recall having no required paragraph length in high school; they could be as short or as long as you wanted them to be. The topic of said paragraphs likely matched your thesis statement and the conclusion likely did nothing but re-state the topic sentence point. These rules do not apply in university. In university, paragraphs are usually expected to be between one-third and two-thirds of a page in length. The purpose of the topic sentence is to sum up the paragraph's main point for clarity. Finally, ensure that your conclusion comes with enough evidence, and a thorough analysis has been presented to support the main point. Let's move on to discuss the presence of thesis statements. Page 7 of 11
In high school, you were probably required to present a one-sentence thesis statement at the end of your opening paragraph and support that sentence with only a few main points. In university it is important to realize that although a thesis statement should be present near the beginning of the paper, it does not necessarily have to be the last sentence of the introduction. Wherever it is, it does not have to be supported by any set number of points. Instead, it should be supported by as many points as you deem necessary to successfully argue for it. The statement itself may be two or three sentences long, or longer, depending on the argument. Let's move on to discuss introductions and conclusions. Page 8 of 11
Introductions in high school tend to consist of a broad phrase or couple of sentences, for example "Over the past century...", that then narrow down into your topic. The conclusion then provided nothing more than a simple summary of main points. In university, your introduction should introduce your main topic specifically and concretely with no broad phrasing. When writing your conclusions, only a quick summary of the presented argument is necessary although you may choose to briefly elaborate. We will now consider our final topic, arguments. Page 9 of 11
In high school, your arguments may have consisted of narration and detailed description to help remind the reader of events. In addition, your teacher may have allowed you to base your arguments on personal experiences or even your own opinion. This is not the case in university. In university, you will be required to analyze your narratives and plot elements in great depth. Your arguments should be supported fully by evidence from sources, likely academic. While it is true that your professor MAY allow supplemental arguments based on personal experience, ensure that this does not become the argument's foundational support. Page 10 of 11
This brings us to the end of our presentation. Be sure to check out the supplemental material included with this module including some sample essays which give you an idea of what is expected at a university level. If you have any further questions, please visit us at our website. Thanks for watching and good luck! Page 11 of 11