Searching for Answers: The Whats, Hows and Whys of Research

The word “research” is thrown around on college campuses like a Frisbee is thrown around Library Lawn on a sunny spring day. Students hear it in every class. It does not discriminate based on major or interests. But what exactly is research?

This is a question I have asked multiple times over the course of the last few weeks. With the Undergraduate Library Research Award applications open, I began wondering who can apply and what type of research qualifies for the award. Through a bit of investigation of my own, I’ve learned that research takes on a variety of forms and covers many topics.

Perhaps the most important discovery I made was how many things fall under the umbrella of research. Performing what one may consider more traditional research (visions of hypotheses and lots of tests fill my head) is not the only form or process for performing research. An artist searching for new techniques or methods may speak with other artists, visit museums or test out new materials. A dietician could study dietary patterns in a group of people or try out new recipes. A journalist may interview various sources or read dozens of news articles. Research does not fit inside a nice, neat box. It reaches beyond what we may expect.

I’ve also learned that research is a conversation. It is a dialogue between many sources, and we, as researchers, must determine which aspects of the conversation we should digest. How do these voices work together and help us understand the broader picture? Which voices should we listen to and which should we question? Not all information and sources are credible, and delving in further to determine the truth is sometimes necessary. These are all important elements of well-rounded research.

I never realized how much research I have actually done during my college career, and I now realize the important role research will play in my future. Professionals, regardless of industry, perform research nearly every day. But what good does this research do if it just sits on your computer?

This brings me back to the Undergraduate Library Research Award. The OSU Library encourages students to share their research work with the world through ULRA. Graphic designers, architects, entrepreneurs, engineers and really anyone with a thirst for knowledge and the drive to seek out information qualifies for this award. Students who wish to apply should submit a 750-1,000 word essay describing their research process and a finished or nearly complete version of the research project. Participants have the opportunity to win $1,500 for their work. Awards of $750 are also available for honorable mentions.

The OSU Library provides students with the opportunity to apply for ULRA in hopes of inspiring and supporting research across campus. It also provides students with dozens of resources to succeed in their research, such as research guides, databases, subject librarians and research data services. This also includes SHAREOK, the joint institutional repository that I discussed in my previous post.

All of this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many facets to research that would probably take more than a single blog post to truly explain. My hope is that you do some research of your own and learn more about the different types of research and why it is important. Of course, it helps us make discoveries we otherwise would not have made, but it does more than give us facts. It connects us to other people, other cultures and other ways of thinking. Research broadens our horizons beyond what can be found in the classroom. All it takes is a little motivation, commitment and curiosity.

Posted by Jenny Berry, electronic communications intern 

SHAREOK Gives Access to Scholarly Work

Access to scholarly work and research is an incredibly important aspect of any university curriculum. Luckily, the Oklahoma State University Libraries have made accessing scholarly work easier than ever with SHAREOK.

SHAREOK is a joint institutional repository for the Oklahoma State University Libraries, the University of Oklahoma Libraries and the University of Central Oklahoma Max Chambers Library.

Essentially, it is a place for students and faculty to deposit digital versions of their work. SHAREOK houses theses, dissertations, research reports and more from some incredibly talented and brilliant people across the state. Why is this so important? Well, the documents are all open access, meaning they can be read by anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Because the documents on SHAREOK are all open access, this provides students with a way to find scholarly work after they graduate. For a student like myself who will graduate in May, this is exciting news. I currently have access to a plethora of databases provided by the library, yet once May rolls around, that access will no longer be available. SHAREOK allows students like myself to transition into their postgraduate lives while preserving one of the educational assets they had at OSU.

Juliana Nykolaiszyn, a professor in the Digital Resources and Discovery Services department at the OSU library, is responsible for maintaining SHAREOK at OSU.

“The whole goal is to make everything open, accessible and free,” Juliana said. “Not only for students here at OSU, but throughout the state of Oklahoma and worldwide.”

Students are not the only ones who benefit from this platform. When faculty submit their work to SHAREOK, they gain another layer of visibility in the scholarly world. Rather than just allowing it to sit on their computers, unseen and unused, professors can submit their articles, presentations, posters or other work to SHAREOK where anyone in the world may now find it.

Clarke Iakovakis, an assistant professor in Research and Learning Services, works to increase the visibility of SHAREOK at OSU. He explained some of the benefits faculty gain by submitting their work to the repository.

“It’s this movement toward making what has been invisible more visible,” Clarke said. “There are people who are interested in really building their online scholarly profiles and sharing the work that they do. Downstream, other researchers can benefit from it, but it also can help build their profiles as researchers.”

While the benefits to students and faculty may be evident, the benefits of SHAREOK extend beyond what we see at OSU. Professionals in every industry have access to the material. The research conducted at OSU is often publically funded, so why shouldn’t the public be able to learn from the research, too? Furthermore, peer-reviewed research has traditionally been limited by subscription-only paywalls, the costs of which have risen dramatically in the last two decades. SHAREOK provides everyone with a way to continue learning and using the information on the platform without the financial burden of paying for a subscription service.

People around the globe can explore the information available on the platform. They may discover something that, had they been required to purchase access, they may never have learned. After all, knowledge is one of the greatest treasures. Why shouldn’t we share ours with the world?

Posted by Jenny Berry, electronic communications intern