Research Depot: Introduction

Introduction
Welcome to the Research Depot. It's not a depot like Home Depot or Office Depot, where research is stacked high and available cheap. But it is like those depots because it's your one-stop centralized source for getting a grounding in the kinds of research skills you'll need for 201. But, an ever better way to think of this depot is like a train depot: if research is a journey, this is where you depart.

There's no question research is work, and hard work. Some people, in fact, make their living doing the kinds of things you'll be learning how to do in this class. You know some of these people, because they're in front of every one of your classrooms. Every academic, from a biochemical engineer to an English professor, researches for a living. It's not all they do, but it's often the most exciting part of their jobs. But even for the "pro's" it's not easy, and for you it may seem downright impossible.

The following tips and tutorials are meant to make it at least a little easier for you. We'll guide you each step of the way, from choosing a topic all the way through citing your sources. It will never not seem like work, but hopefully these tips will help you find a way of making this work work for you. These skills may not seems like much now, but they will prepare you for the work you'll be expected to do throughout the University, and in whatever career you choose. So, let's get started.