FINAL REFLECTION HACKS
Level of Questions to Ask Yourself
Reflection
Descriptive ● What did I do?
(1-2pts) ● How did I undertake my
research?
● What were the problems I
faced?
● Did my approach or
strategies change
throughout the process?
● What have been the high
and the low points of the
research and writing
process?
Analytical ● Was my research
(3-4pts) successful?
● If I changed my approach
or strategies during the
process, why did I do
this?
● What did I learn from the
experience in terms of my
understanding of the
subject area and/or the
skills needed to
undertake research?
● How has my
understanding of the topic
and research process
developed throughout
the task?
Evaluative ● If I were to undertake this
(5-6pts) research again, would I
do it differently—if so,
why or why not?
● What has affected this?
Example Responses Your 1st Reflection Highlights Your 2nd Reflection Highlights YOUR FINAL Reflection Notes
● I started my research with
the idea to…. and
searched Google.
● I tried looking at a few of
the databases.
● I had to look at some
other ideas because there
wasn’t much on my topic.
● It has been very
easy/hard to find some
decent resources.
● My initial findings showed
that original research on
this topic was done by….
● I started with school
databases, but then I
realized I needed to
change my thinking as it
was too specific/broad.
● As a result of my
preliminary searching, I
decided to focus primarily
on…
● I started diving into
resources that were easy
to find, only to realize I
needed a lot more
information at the basic
level to have a full
understanding of my topic
● At this stage, I wished I
had taken the advice of
talking to a teacher in this
area. I could have saved
time by…
 FINAL REFLECTION HACKS
● If I did do the research ● In retrospect, I would start
again, would I change the my research
theories applied or the broader/more specifically
method because….
● Would this have led to a ● My initial idea was …
different outcome? however, I found research
● What can I conclude from on …. That made I
this? change my initial ideas
● Were the strategies I and move this direction
used for undertaking my because…
research the most
appropriate for achieving
my outcomes?
● What, if any, questions
emerged as a result of my
research that I was not
expecting?
● Would these questions
influence my approach if I
were to undertake the
research again?