Research

One of the most important parts of Graduate Studies is undertaking research rather than just reading the work of others. It sounds easy, right?! Not so fast, friends! Everything one says that can be attributed to others must be cited. One's own thoughts must be understood to be a result of thinking about someone else's ideas or concepts. Take a look at the quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln; clearly, these can not be his words. You might think you could find the quote on PonderAbout.com, but they weren't accessible there either. The quote has been floating around the internet since at least 2011, but no where could the original be found. It's definitely not a quote that could be used in an academic paper.

Secondary research is a study based on the works of published researchers whose works have been vetted by experts in the field, found worthy by peer reviewers, and published in a professional journal on the topic. 

Primary research is when one undertakes their own research by collecting original data, comparing it to the data of those who study something similar, finding gaps in the knowledge base, and then drawing their own conclusions based on the new pool of information they now have. Any primary research involving work with humans, living or deceased, or utilizing any number of cells from humans, living or deceased, must have:

1. completed ethics training and testing (every three years) according to the Tri-Council Policy Statement 2: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS@-2022),

2. have their research proposal approved by their thesis supervisor and

3. have their research proposal approved by their university's Research Ethics Board.