Don't let your research define your structure. Let your structure define your research.
After completing your EE Dump, divide your main RQ into 5 sub-questions that your essay will answer. Your research then becomes targeted — you're looking for specific answers, not browsing randomly.
The Research Funnel
Level 1: Google
Definitions, context, policy documents, government data, think tanks. This is your foundation — don't skip it.
Level 2: Google Scholar
Peer-reviewed arguments, models, frameworks, academic debates. This is where depth lives.
Level 3: PDF-only searches
Full research papers, original datasets, foundational studies. Most students never reach this level — that's where their research suffers.
What Google Is Actually For
- Definitions
- Context
- Policy documents
- Government data
- Think tanks
- Intro-level understanding
What Google Is NOT For
- Academic arguments
- Causal claims without data
- Theoretical frameworks
- Peer-reviewed evidence
Note
Some students skip Level 1 and jump straight to academic sources. That's a mistake — context framing and problem outline matter. But Level 1 alone isn't enough either.
The Scholar Shift
The Scholar Shift is the most satisfying part of research — when you move from Google to Google Scholar, where you're exposed to previous research and policy papers from PhD professors and students. This is a gold mine if you use it the right way. Since most students don't get to this level of depth, the people grading your paper are already going to be impressed.
The Scholar Method
- 1Search narrowly. Not "Inflation India" but "monetary policy transmission India inflation."
- 2Sort by relevance, not date. New doesn't mean good. Influential doesn't mean outdated.
- 3Open 3 papers maximum. Scan the abstract, introduction, and conclusion. If a paper doesn't directly help, discard it.
- 4Follow the citations. If you find a good paper, go to its references. You'll find the foundational research.
Search Operator Tips
Exact Phrases
Use quotes: "voter behaviour social media" returns only results with that exact phrase.
PDF Only
Add filetype:pdf to find full research papers and datasets, not summaries.
Site-Specific
Use site:gov or site:edu to filter for government data or university research.
When to Stop Researching
You're done when each sub-question has 2–3 strong sources. For every source, note:
- 1The core claim (one sentence)
- 2The evidence or method used
- 3Any limitation or bias
A Source Is EE-Worthy If...
- It has a clear argument
- It uses data or theory
- It acknowledges limitations
- It can be evaluated, not just summarised
Red Flags
- Blog posts with no citations
- News articles used as analysis
- Papers older than 15 years (unless foundational)
- Sources that only confirm your argument — you need counterpoints too
Tip
The point of academic papers is not to copy the knowledge or findings, but to cite certain findings and explain why your paper is still relevant right now — and set the stage to present your findings and posit your theory.
Key Takeaways
- Research through three levels: Google → Scholar → PDF-only
- Search narrowly and follow citations from good papers
- Each sub-question needs 2–3 strong sources with noted claims, evidence, and limitations
- Use search operators (quotes, filetype:pdf, site:) for targeted results