| Choosing
a Topic
|
Sometimes choosing a topic
is the most difficult step in doing research. Your instructor may
assign a general or specific topic, or the choice may be up to you.
Knowing where to look for ideas will help you find an interesting
subject. Make sure you understand what you are being asked to do in
the assignment.
Some suggestions for getting started:
- Browse the shelves in
the library
- Browse an online news
source
- Check out current topics
at a science
web site
- Pick up a magazine or
journal related to your topic.
- Ask a librarian for help
to get started.
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|
Finding Background Information
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Do some background reading!
There are many different ways to do this. Read a book, pick up a journal
or magazine. Talk to experts in the field.
REMEMBER! Keep notes on what
you find, put quotes around sentences taken directly, make a notation
for your thoughts, response and reflections to what your are reading!
Here are some library
resources that will help:
- Encyclopedias
General Encyclopedias are a valuable source of general information
on a topic, terminology, names of people and events associated with
a topic, and a list of other sources to use. These are located in
the Reference Section of the library.
- The New Encyclopaedia
Britannica. AE5 .E363 1998.
- The Encyclopedia
Americana. AE5 .A5 2000.
- Collier's encyclopedia
AE5 .C68 1996.
- Encyclopedia.com
http://www.encyclopedia.com/
- Information Please
Almanac http://www.infoplease.com/
Subject Encyclopedias
These specialized encyclopedias are available for many subject areas.
They contain in-depth information on a topic. Reading selections
from this type of sources will help refine a topic and provide additional
terminology, timelines, concurrent events and people, to aid in
your research. A few examples:
- New Catholic encyclopedia BX841 .N44 2003
- The encyclopedia of religion and war BL80.3 .E53 2004
- Encyclopedia of genetics QH427 .E532 2002
- Encyclopedia of business and finance HF1001 .E467 2001
- Encyclopedia of sociology HM425 .E5 2000.
- The Rolling stone encyclopedia of rock & roll ML102.R6 R64 2001
- Encyclopedia of the American Civil War :
a political, social, and military history E468 .H47 2000.
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| Refining
a Topic
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|
With
the information gained from reading background information, it is
now time to refine the topic. This may mean
broadening the topic, narrowing
the topic or changing the topic.
Broadening
a Topic
Beginning Topic
|
How has the
practice of yoga affected the health of middle aged
men in the Midwest |
Main concepts
of Interest |
Yoga and health |
Broader concept
for Yoga |
Alternative/complementary medicine |
Broader way
to think of people |
Men or people
or Americans |
Broadened Topic
|
Is there a relationship
between alternative medicine and health in men? |
Narrowing
a Topic
Beginning Topic |
Terrorism in
the World |
What Time Period
is of interest |
Twenty First
Century |
What Geographic
areas are of interest |
Europe or United
States or Middle East |
Events or People
of particular interest |
9-11-2001 or
George Bush |
Narrowed Topic |
Compare the
Bush response to 9-11 to the response to a recent terror attack
in Europe OR How did George Bush's language related
to terrorism prior to and after 9-11 change? |
Changing
a Topic
Beginning Topic
|
Have standardized
tests improve learning? |
Background Information |
Background reading
in the Encyclopedia of Education includes a discussion
of the politics of standards in schools. |
New Topic |
What role has
the issue of standardized tests played in recent presidential
elections? |
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Searching
for Information
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With background reading
completed, the research topic defined (at least for now!), the next
step in the process is to search for information for the project
or paper.
For Books, use your selected
terms and search PioCat the library catalog.
To Find Articles, choose
the best database from the database
listing. If you know the name of the database choose it, otherwise
choose a subject area with recommended databases.
To find Web Sites suitable for college research,
use the terms you have developed for your topic. Detailed information
on web searching is available at the World
Wide Web handout.
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Evaluating
Resources
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Once you have selected
resources, it is important to evaluate them. This is especially
true if you are using Web
Sites. You are responsible for evaluating articles and books
also. Use these criteria:
- Relevance - Does this source answer your research question?
If not, keep looking.
- Accuracy - Is the information accurate? Are there additional
sources (reference books, other authors) that confirm what
you have found? ? Are there footnotes and/or a bibliography?
- Authority - Are the authors experts in the field? What
are their credentials ?
- Purpose and Intent - Is the material written to a particular
audience? Is the source informing, persuading, selling? Is the
source biased? If so, does it affect the quality of the information?
Is the information a primary source, presenting original research,
or reports of those participating themselves (diaries, memoirs,
letters)?
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| Avoid Plagiarism |
Plagiarism is stealing and passing off ideas or words of another as your own as well as using another's production without crediting the source.
Plagiarism is a serious problem on college campuses- you need to learn how to use the information that your reserach turns up without plagiarising it.
Indiana University has put together a helpful guide to understanding and avoiding plagiarism.
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Citing
Sources
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With the research you now
have in hand you can complete writing your paper. From your carefully
maintained notations you will be able to document your research, using
the style suggested by your instructor.
The library has developed style guides to four of the most commonly used citation styles and these are avialable online.
There are style manuals in
the library to help you with this task. Some of them are:
- Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association -
Ref desk BF76.7 .P83 2001
- MLA handbook for
writers of research papers - Ref desk LB2369 .G53
2003.
- A Pocket Style Manual
- Ref desk PE1408 .H26 2000
- American Medical
Association Manual of Style - Ref Desk R119 .A533 1998
- Chicago Manual of
Style - Ref Desk Z253 .U69 2000
There are also several
good websites to help with this step in your paper:
Assembling a List
of Works Cited in Your Paper (from Duke Libraries)
http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/works_cited
Citing Sources within Your Paper (from Duke Libraries)
http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/cite/within.htm
Online! Citation Styles (from
Bedford/St Martin's)
http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/citex.html
Writer's Handbook: Documentation Styles (from UW-Madision Libraries) http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/index.html
Rules for Writers (Diana Hacker)
http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/
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