An Introduction to Research Processes

Back to Finding Sources in the Field

Professionals in virtually every walk of life — and also special-interest groups — sometimes convene for a regional or national conference. Such conferences bring together health care providers, legal experts, engineers, scientists, teachers, and assorted people bound together by some mutual concern. These meetings can be fertile sources of fresh ideas.

Often such conferences are open and free to students and the public, but to gain admission to others you might have to register and pay a fee. This drawback might discourage a casual researcher, but if your grade depends on material to be discussed at the conference or if you are thinking of a possible career in that profession, you might find it worthwhile to pay the fee. To attend a professional conference and to meet and talk with speakers and fellow attendees can be an excellent way to learn the language of a discipline. You can take notes on the lectures, which are usually given by experts in the field, and thus get some firsthand live opinions. You may even be able to ask questions from the audience or corner a speaker or two later for informal talk. You might also want to record information about who attended the lecture or conference, the reaction of the audience, or any other background details that may prove useful in writing your paper.

In addition, you might obtain a copy of the proceedings of the conference — usually a set of all the lectures delivered, sometimes with accompanying commentary. (Unfortunately, many proceedings are published months or even years after a conference.)

College organizations frequently bring interesting speakers to campus — the science club might sponsor a nationally known marine biologist or the film club might bring in the producer of a successful television program. Check the schedules of events listed on bulletin boards and in your campus newspaper.

Be on the lookout, as well, for online discussions — such as the Chat sessions sponsored by Web sites such as Yahoo or CNN Online — that are relevant to your research topic (see the discussion of Chats and MOOs in our unit on Other Internet Resources). You can participate in the discussion as an observer, or perhaps even ask a question. Remember to use your Chat program to record the discussion for later review. You can learn how to record a transcript by consulting the program's online help.