Week 1 - 01 - First Post!

Hi! My name is Robin, and this is my first blog posting for RES701. In this blog I'll be answering the 5 questions that were given to us.

What do you think ‘research’ is?

I think research is when you look at various sources and conduct experiments to gain understanding and come to conclusions. I could conduct research on a topic to gain understanding based on other people's research and conclusions, or I could use that information plus my own experimentation to reach new conclusions and contribute to the world's knowledge.

Do you think you will ever need research skills?

Of course! When you learn about new things, good research skills will allow you to reach sound conclusions. I already use research skills in my study to learn about different topics, as well as to just learn new things that I find interesting. 

What do you think a research journal is and who is it written for?

I think a research journal is a record of how a researcher conducted their work. It is for the researcher to reflect on and document their work, and to gain feedback from others who look at it. It also makes the work more credible because it keeps record of many details of the research process.

What is plagiarism?

plagiarism is when you take someone else's work, and you do not give them credit and make it look like it is your own work.

Why is it important to avoid it?

When you plagiarise, you are not giving the creator the credit they deserve. It is theft, and is thus illegal. Also plagiarism does not foster originality, so you do not gain a good understanding of the field. It is better to use your own words and ideas as you learn much more, plus you contribute different ideas to the world. 
In study it can also cause you to fail if you are found to be plagiarising.