To do well when writing an engineering economics assignment, you need to do good research. Doing thorough research helps you gather the facts and information you need to write an economics assignment that is well-informed and full of details. In this blog post, we'll talk about some good ways to do research for your engineering economics assignment.
1. Identify Your Research Goals
It's important to know what your study goals are before you start. This will help you figure out what knowledge you need to gather, how to do your research, and what sources to use. Here are some tips on how to figure out your study goals for your engineering economics assignment:
- Know the Assignment Requirements: Carefully read the assignment question and pick out the most important parts you need to address. This will tell you exactly what you should be able to do with your study.
- Figure out the scope of your research: Once you know what the assignment is asking you to do, figure out how much research you need to do. This will help you focus your work and make sure you don't waste time looking for information that doesn't matter.
- Figure out why you're doing your research: Find out what you want to learn from your study. Is it to tell, convince, or figure out? This will help you choose good sites and figure out how good the information you get is.
- Figure out what the research questions are: Figure out the questions you need to answer with your study. This will help you choose good sources and keep you focused on the most important parts of your assignment.
- Make a timetable: Make a timetable for your study that lists the most important assignments and goals you need to reach. This will help you stay on track and make sure your assignment gets done on time.
By figuring out what you want to learn from your study, you can make a clear and focused plan for it. This will help you get the best results for your engineering economics assignment.
2. Start with General Sources
When you start researching for an engineering economics assignment, it's best to start with general sources so you can get a general idea of what the topic is about. Here are some tips on how to find general sources for your study and how to use them:
- Use an online search engine: Using a search engine like Google is a simple way to start your study. Type in general keywords linked to your topic and look through the results to find sources that give a broad overview of the subject.
- Use books as sources: Reference books like dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks can give you a general idea of a topic. They are a good place to start your study, and they can also give you ideas for where to find more specific sources.
- Look in the library's database: Library databases can give you access to a wide range of general sources, such as research journals, magazines, newspapers, and eBooks. These sites can be trusted and often give detailed information on a wide range of topics.
- Use Subject Guides: Many libraries have subject guides that list materials that are related to a certain topic. These tips can be a great place to start when looking for general sources, saving you time and work.
- Look for background information: Once you've found general sources, take the time to read and understand the background information. This will give you a broad understanding of the subject and help you figure out which parts need more study.
By starting with general sources, you can learn a lot about the topic and figure out where you need to do more study. This will help you build a strong base for your engineering economics assignment and make sure you write a paper that is well-researched and full of useful information.
3. Use Keyword Searches
Step one in doing good research for your engineering economics assignment is to use keyword searches. Here are some ways to make keyword searches work well:
- Figure out what your keywords are: The first step is to figure out what your keywords are. These keywords can have to do with the topic, theories, ideas, or anything else that will help you find appropriate sources.
- Use synonyms and related terms: Once you know what your keywords are, you should think about synonyms and related terms. This will help you find more sources, some of which may use different words to talk about the same ideas.
- Use Boolean Operators: You can narrow down your search results by using Boolean operators like AND, OR, and NOT. AND is used to combine terms, OR is used to find sources that include any of the keywords, and NOT is used to leave out certain keywords from your search.
- Look in more than one database: When doing topic searches, it's important to look in more than one database. This will help you find a wider range of sources and make sure you've read everything important to your research topic.
- Narrow down your search: Once you've done your keyword search, you should use filters like release date, author, and source type to narrow down your search results. This will help you figure out which sources are the most useful and save you time when you're reading the literature.
You can make sure you find the best sources for your engineering economics assignment by doing keyword searches well. This will help you write a well-researched, useful paper that shows what you know and how well you understand the topic.
4. Consult Multiple Sources
When doing a study for your engineering economics assignment, it's important to look at more than one source. This makes sure that you know everything about the topic and have thought about it from different points of view.
Here are some tips on how to use different sources effectively:
- Use a Variety of Sources: When doing research, it's important to use a variety of sources, such as books, academic journals, articles, and online tools. This will make sure that you have different points of view and don't just get your information from one source.
- Check the Credibility of the Source: Before using a source in your study, you should make sure it is reliable. This can be done by looking at the credentials of the author, the date of release, and the source's reputation in the academic world.
- Make notes and organize information: As you do your research, it's important to make notes and organize the information you find. This will help you keep track of where you got your information and make sure you don't repeat it in your paper.
- Analyze and put information together: After getting knowledge from different sources, it's important to analyze and put together what you've learned. This will help you find patterns and trends in the literature and make sure your paper has a well-rounded case.
By looking at more than one source, you can make sure you know everything there is to know about the topic and that your argument in your engineering economics assignment is well-informed. This will help you show what you know about the subject and how well you understand it, and it will also help you write a good paper.
5. Evaluate Your Sources
An important part of doing research for your engineering economics assignment is figuring out how good your sources are. By analyzing your sources, you can make sure that the information you are using is credible and accurate. Here are some important things to think about when judging your sources:
- Authority: Look at the author's qualifications and how much they know about the subject. Are they known to be an expert on the subject? Do they have skills that are important, like a Ph.D. or work experience?
- Accuracy: Think about how correct and reliable the information is. Is the knowledge backed up by proof? Are there any mistakes or things that don't make sense in the information given?
- Objectivity: Take into account how objective the information is. Is the information skewed or does it give a fair picture of the topic? Does the author have any conflicts of interest that might change how they see things?
- Date: Think about how up-to-date the information is. Is the information current and useful to what's going on in the field right now? Is there information from more recent sites that might be more up-to-date?
- Relevance: Think about how the information given fits in with your research topic. Does the information help you answer the question you set up for your research? Is the information directly about your topic, or does it only have a loose connection?
By using these factors to evaluate your sources, you can make sure that the information you are using is credible and trustworthy. This will help you make a good engineering economics assignment that shows what you know about the subject and how well you understand it.
6. Take Notes and Organize Your Research
After you have found and evaluated your sources, the next step in doing good research for your engineering economics assignment is to take notes and organize your research. Here are some useful tips:
- Make a method for taking notes: Find a way to take notes that works well for you. Some people like to write their notes by hand, while others like to use computer tools. Make sure that whatever method you choose makes it easy to organize your notes and look them up later.
- Pay attention to the most important points: As you read your sources, pay attention to the most important points that relate to your study question. Mark or underline these important points so you can find them again quickly.
- Write down the citation information: Make sure to write down the citation information for each source you use. This includes the name of the author, the date the piece or book came out, the title, and the page numbers. If you already have this knowledge, it will be easier to make your reference list later.
- Organize your notes: Once you've taken notes on all of your sources, put them in a way that makes sense to you. Some people like to order their notes by subject, while others like to do it by date or source. No matter what method you choose, make sure it is easy to use and lets you find what you need quickly.
- Write out a plan: Make an outline for your engineering economics assignment after you have put your notes in order. This will help you plan your paper and make sure you cover all the important points you want to make. Use your notes to fill in each part of your outline with information.
You can make sure you have all the information you need to write a good engineering economics assignment by taking notes and organizing your study in this way. This will make it easier for you to write and help you make a paper that shows how much you know and understand about the subject.
7. Use of correct citations and references
One important part of doing good research for your engineering economics assignment is using the right citations and references. Citing and referencing your sources correctly not only gives credit to the original writers but also helps you avoid plagiarism. Here are some tips to help you cite and reference things the right way:
- Choose a way to cite: Different academic fields and schools have their own ways for citing sources that they want students to use. Make sure you know how to write citations in the style that your engineering economics assignment calls for. APA, MLA, and Chicago are some of the most common citation styles used in academic work.
- List every source: Make sure to list all of the books, articles, websites, and other materials that you used for your assignment. Even if you put the information in your own words after paraphrasing it, you still need to give credit to the original source.
- Use in-text citations: Whenever you mention a source in the body of your work, you should use in-text citations. Most in-text quotations include the last name of the author and the year the book came out. (Smith, 2021) is a good case.
- Include a reference list: A reference list is a list of all the sources you mentioned in your assignment. The reference list should be at the end of your work, and each source's full citation should be included. The information about the reference should be formatted in accordance with the style you are using.
- Use tools for citing sources: There are many online tools that can help you cite and reference things the right way. These tools can help you make sure that your reference list is correct and that your citations are in the right style. EasyBib, BibMe, and Cite This For Me are some of the most famous tools for citing sources.
By citing and referencing correctly, you can make sure that your engineering economics assignment is well-researched and doesn't contain any plagiarized work. It also shows that you did a lot of study and gave credit to other authors who helped you with your work.
Conclusion
An important part of making a good engineering economics assignment is doing good research. By setting research goals, starting with general sources, using keyword searches, consulting multiple sources, evaluating your sources, taking notes and organizing your research, and using proper citation and referencing, you can make sure your research is complete, relevant, and reliable. If you follow these steps, you'll be in a good position to write your engineering economics assignment and get good grades. Remember that research isn't just about getting information; it's also about analyzing, interpreting, and presenting that information in a clear and concise way.