Introduction | Basics
of Doing Research | Step 1 | Step
2 | Step 3 |
Step 4 | Step
5 | Step 6 | Step
7
Introduction
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The research process is a simple means of effectively locating information for
a research project, be it a research paper, an oral presentation, or something
else assigned by your professor. Because research is a process, you need to
allow yourself ample time to refine and change your topic. You may find that
your topic is too broad or too narrow. Your topic will need to be searched
in different resources that may require numerous library visits and/or computer
sessions. In addition, you may also find that you need help from a librarian
and/or your professor. Be sure to allow a few weeks to have materials delivered
from other libraries and/or organizations. Research is not an overnight process.
Selecting a topic and locating information resources early in the semester
will facilitate the entire research process.
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Basics of Doing Research
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The following seven steps outline a simple and effective process
for conducting research for a paper, presentation, or other project
that requires you to locate information about a topic. Depending
on your topic and your familiarity with library research, you may
need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to
your needs:
Step 1 Choose your topic.
Step 2 Find basic information.
Step 3 Refine your topic.
Step 4 Locate and retrieve materials.
Step 5 Evaluate relevancies of materials.
Step 6 Take notes.
Step 7 Construct your project.
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Step 1: Choose Your Topic
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Select a topic that is of interest to you, or if you have been assigned
a topic, select an aspect or perspective of the topic that interests
you. If you are having trouble selecting a topic, you may find it useful
to browse periodicals, such as magazines, journals, newspapers, reference
sources, and online databases. Remember, selecting a topic is the most
important decision you will make in the research process. Without a topic,
you can’t go any further.
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Step 2: Find Basic Information
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Try to find some basic information on your topic. Select a few
key terms from your topic and search for basic information in reference
sources such as subject encyclopedias, bibliographies, handbooks,
library catalogs, books, online databases, and Internet sources
(Web sites). This preliminary search will help you determine how
much or how little information is available about your topic.
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Step 3: Refine Your Topic
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Based on the quality and quantity of basic information located, you may need
to refine your topic. If the initial search locates too little information,
you will need to broaden your topic. You can broaden a topic by searching for
related concepts/synonyms using different keywords, or by selecting different
resources. Also, try examining book or article bibliographies for additional
sources. If your initial search locates too much information, you will need
to narrow your topic. You can narrow a topic by using more specific terms qualifying
by date, region, or another aspect of your topic examining subject headings
in books and/or online databases. If you need assistance refining your topic,
ask a librarian and/or your professor.
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Step 4: Locate and Retrieve Materials
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Once you have your topic, you are ready to begin locating and retrieving
materials. To locate and retrieve materials about your topic, you need
to consider your information needs and select the appropriate research
tools. The information that you need will depend on the requirements
of your research assignment or topic.
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Step 5: Evaluate Relevancy of Materials
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After locating materials you need to determine their relevancy and usefulness
to your topic. A clear, well-defined topic allows you to quickly eliminate irrelevant
materials. After determining the relevancy of an item, you need to evaluate the
quality of your information. Basic criteria to evaluate information are:
Authority–Who is the author? What are their credentials?
Accuracy–Are the facts verifiable? Is the information correct?
Objectivity–What is the purpose? Is there a bias?
Currency–Is the information up-to-date?
Coverage–What is the scope of the information? What does it focus on?
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Step 6: Take Notes
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Throughout your research keep accurate records of what research
tools and search strategies you have used–that way you won’t
search the same thing twice and can easily reproduce a search if
you need to. Record complete citations for all materials, even
if you are unsure of whether or not you will end up using a particular
resource. Trying to go back at a later date and locate the information
for a citation can be quite difficult. A complete citation should
include enough identifying information, such as the author, title,
and source, so that a reader can locate a copy of the item.
The most common citations are:
Book citation–book title, author, publisher, edition (if
any), year of publication, place of publication and ISBN (if known)
Article citation–article title, periodical title (magazine,
journal, or newspaper), author, publication date, volume number,
issue number and page(s)
The order in which the citation elements are placed will depend
on the style manual that you use.
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Step 7: Construct Your Project
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You are now ready to start preparing your paper, presentation, or
project. You should have enough research materials to support your
thesis. Be careful to cite any materials that you quote directly or
that you paraphrase. This way you will avoid plagiarism. Remember that
the research is a cyclical process. You may need to go back and locate
additional information that your previous searches did not locate.
Allow yourself enough time to be able to conduct additional research
if needed.
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