ABSTRACT
Reading, using and carrying out research are similar to setting out on an adventure that takes time and requires preparation and skill. Taking part in this journey can be compared with the experience depicted in the documentary movie Deep Water. In this documentary, Donald Crowhurst participates in the 1968 Golden Globe Race, a widely covered event where individuals sail alone around the world. Crowhurst was one of a small number of participants in the race, hoping to win it and the £5,000 prize that would help save his business ventures and bring him fame. The one problem, however, was that Crowhurst was not an experienced sailor, and his boat was not equipped to sail safely around the world. As a result, he used deception to misreport his location while sailing, and eventually his venture had a tragic ending. While research rarely has these consequences, understanding what makes good research is critical to a successful career as a researcher and to reading research and applying it to professional practice. If you are not prepared to assess what you read and to use that information, you will be lost in a sea of research reports and will be unable to use research for your intended purposes.
