Research (What)

Research is the process of getting good information.

Process

A set of actions for getting one or more desired results. Synonyms: method

Good (high quality) Information

Good information is information that meets seven criteria: super-useful, true, accurate, complete, easy-to-understand, well organized, and justified.

In the context of CT, research is used to find information that improves the quality of a decision.

Examples

• Issue: Best ways to stretch for flexibility and injury prevention?
  • Research: Getting good information about stretching.
• Issue: What kind of house paint to buy?
  • Research: Getting good information about house paints
    • How to apply?
    • Durability?
    • Costs?
• Issue: Buy a gas car, a hybrid, or an electric car?
  • Research: Get good information about these options

Research (Rationale)

1. Feels great to understand something.
2. Maximizes the likelihood of making the best decision.
   1. Minimizes the chance of a lousy or suboptimal decision.
3. Learn a ton of things.
4. Know what you are talking about.
   1. Establish your credibility.
5. Objection: Research takes too much time.
   1. However, skilled people spend the right amount of time doing research such that the benefits >> costs.

Research (How To)

Here is the framework for research. Note that research is an iterative process; search, search some more, repeat until information quality is good enough for your context.

While quality of your information is improving, take the following actions.

1. Key Question: Ask the most useful question(s).
2. Design: Figure out your plan of attack for getting answers.
3. Action:
   1. Engage in secondary research.
   2. Engage in primary research.
4. Reflective Thinking (RT)
   1. Is quality high enough
   2. How to apply?
   3. Next steps?
   4. There are other questions to ask …

Being skilled at research is a super power and one of the 10 Essential Life Skills.

If you want to grow your skills in research, I recommend The Research BookCourse.