Above is a research essay written for my FYEX-honors course. In this essay, I discuss the importance of research, big or small, and how research is something that anyone is able to do. The essay includes the definition of research from the FYEX-honors course as “anything done with a purpose to learn.” I think that this broad definition of research really gives people the freedom to do research on anything that they would like. I also discuss the requirements/parts of research and how to use them in your research. This essay helps me to fulfill levels 1 and 2 of Information Literacy for research. Information Literacy Level 1: “Develops ability to access information effectively, efficiently, and critically” and Level 2: “Demonstrates knowledge of the ethical use of information.” After writing this essay, I learned how to be a better researcher in the future. Throughout the entire unit of the research competency, I learned what goes into researching. There are many components of research that must be met in order for the research to be accepted by the research community. All research must include a hypothesis/question, a test, an analysis, background information, and a report or dissemination (Info Literacy, level 1). Without the requirements/components of research, it would be very difficult to communicate your research to other parties. Since we have these rules, research can be easily read and comprehended by anyone within your field of study or even outside of the field of study. Having rules/regulations that everyone is to follow for research is important ethically to keep your information reliable. Having ethical standards in research helps to keep the integrity of the research. For example, when doing research involving humans, it’s important to have outsiders look into the research to ensure it is ethical (Info Literacy, level 2). In my major, biomedical science/pre-med, research is extremely important, so I am very thankful that I learned these components of research in order to effectively communicate my research in the future to my intended audience. In the future I hope to continue to do both small and large research in my field and life.