Step 5 - Finalise your research outcomes
Now that you have the results – what have you really found?
- Have you reached a conclusion on a particular question?
- Have you uncovered some anomaly in the law that needs to be addressed?
- Have you discovered that the relevant area of law is one that has changed little for years, or one that is in a constant state of flux?
- Most importantly, has the research and results you have found addressed your initial purpose?
Remember, writing involves the strategic use of the research findings to support a viewpoint you may be taking or an argument you may be putting forward.
Your Task
Reflection is a part of legal practice. Deliberate reflection provides you with a process to develop professional judgment.
It is important to pause and review whether your results have addressed your need or does your reflective skills tell you to repeat the research process. Most of the time you will need to repeat the process in a number of different databases.
Ask yourself, have I found enough information to start drafting my assessment? Or do I need to repeat the process?
If so, well done! You can now write it up in whatever format has been set for your assessment.