Research. Often overlooked yet a vital step in any important process, research tends to get a bad rep. Its associated with high school book reports, and many people struggle to research consistently, even when it comes to important topics. However, researching doesn’t have to be painstaking or boring. Knowing what to look for and how long to dedicate to the task can make a big difference in how people retain information.
A Little Goes a Long Way
A preliminary step which many decide to opt-out of, research might be more necessary than people think. Whether it’s for major life decisions like starting a DevOps career or something as simple as learning a new game, getting informed before taking action makes life much easier than going in blind. However, research also produces a lot of anxiety in people. Not sure what questions to ask, what to look for, or whether they’ve understood the information correctly, many avoid research and end up paying the price much later down the road. Luckily, most research isn’t as difficult as high school teachers made it out to be. In fact, it’s a lot easier than people might think.
Below are a few tips and examples of how to conduct research, depending on each situation.
Learn the Rules of the Game
It’s surprising how many people don’t know all the rules of a game because they never bothered to learn. Half playing, some gamers don’t know they’re losing in ways that they could prevent. However, this doesn’t mean that they need to study an entire handbook.
Instead, by isolating certain elements of the very game they’re playing and asking questions in that way too, players are much more likely to remember and apply what they learned than if they had glossed over it in a manual. For example, when playing slots, the gameplay might look really simple, but there are a few factors to consider which could determine how a game is played. People think it’s about hitting a button or pulling a lever but, in actuality, players can develop easy strategies by consulting the stats and terminology that are usually placed in the game’s description.
Most people probably wouldn’t know what an RTP is, and would therefore heed no warning about it when choosing a game. However, after taking a bit of time to research, players would find out that this acronym means return-to-player, which shows the likelihood of wins possible in the game. With this information, players would know to look for slots that have high RTPs which, in the end, could make their gaming experience much more enjoyable.
Read the Reviews
Like learning how to play a game by asking specific questions and applying the answer to everyday life, people can also learn a lot about products and services by researching the reviews people have already left.
Reviews are much more trustworthy than the company’s description because they showcase the public’s honest opinion. They can either vouch for or warn against certain businesses by describing the product or service itself, the experience they have had with the company, and their overall satisfaction.
Also, considering how colorful reviews can be at times, they are much more memorable than general product descriptions and can help guide people on their buying journey.
However, browsing through product reviews isn’t the only way to learn more about the right product. Online forums like Reddit are incredibly useful for research because they have entire community boards that center on niche topics. People can also post questions about what they’re looking for and get in-depth responses which will definitely give a boost in confidence when it comes to making a purchasing decision.
Asking the Right Questions
A lot like learning the rules of a game and turning to forums for their honest opinions, learning how to ask the right questions can land some of the most important opportunities in any person’s life, especially when it comes to job interviews.
A big mistake many people make when it comes to interviewing is treating every company the same as the others when what they should be doing is researching the company and developing specialized questions to ask the interviewer. Doing this makes candidates stand out because they demonstrated interest where the majority of others did not. There are lots of interview questions that can easily be tailored for a specific company. Just taking a little bit of time to write them down could make the difference between getting the job or not.
Final Thoughts
Research isn’t as daunting as it’s made out to be. Isolating certain elements, gathering opinions, and asking the right questions all count as effective research that will make life much easier in the long run.