You don’t need to spend a lot of time learning how to find information. After all, many of us are online every day retrieving information: reconnecting with people online, finding open classes through PiratesNet, downloading driving directions, weather forecasts, song lyrics, recipes, and other pieces of information that get us through the day.
But information retrieval is not research! Research requires that you find information, of course, but it also demands much more from you. The MLA Handbook defines research in terms of exploring ideas, probing issues, solving problems, or making arguments relating to existing ideas. Yes, students need information to complete these tasks, but the depth and breadth of information needed moves far beyond a single source.
Within the research process you also need considerable time to read the information you find, time to reflect on new information in terms of what you already know and what you're learning, and time to write multiple drafts of speeches/papers so that you can present your research as clearly, logically, and successfully as possible.
Research is a process that has steps you can follow to get your work done!
