Step One: Getting Started

·        Define and refine your topic. Start by brainstorming, on your own or with a friend, to identify what you already know about the topic, what you want to know, and what you need to know.

·        If you are writing an essay, identify the possible topics or arguments you are going to explore in your paper to support your thesis statement.

·        Use your instructor's assessment information to identify specific information that is required.

·        Make sure you understand the assignment . Talk to your instructor if you need clarification about the assignment requirements or how you'll be assessed.

·        Use an encyclopedia to get an overview of your topic. Choose your subject, then scroll down the page to see a list of multi-disciplinary and/or subject-specific encyclopedias available @ the library or online.

·        If you need help writing an outline or drafting your report these websites offer suggestions, more details, and examples that may be helpful:

o        Writing Lab Reports and Scientific Papers

o        Writing Research Papers

§        Writing a thesis statement

§        Bad and better thesis statements

·        Use a graphic organizer to classify or sort your ideas and/or the instructor's requirements. Here's a sample organizer for planning a vacation to Thailand. Items in the bubbles represent things to be researched.

Once you have 4 or 5 “ideas bubbles” you think might be suitable for further consideration complete a “Thinking Quad” reflecting on what you already know, think, have discovered, learned about this smaller section of your larger topic.

 

 

 

Step Two: Gathering Information

What kind of information do I need?

Consider possible sources for your research. Think about the following questions:

·        Do you need scholarly information, or is a mix of information from scholarly, popular and trade publications acceptable?

·        Do you need to use primary sources as well as secondary sources?

·        Will you use books, articles, websites, or other sources (videos, interviews, etc.)?

For help with these questions, see below Comparing Sources of Information

Comparing Sources of Information

The following source comparisons can help you in your research. Scroll down to see them all.

 

What is the difference between scholarly and popular sources?

  Scholarly Popular Length of articles

longer articles, in-depth and detailed coverage

shorter articles, broad overview

Author author usually an expert; credentials and contact information listed

staff writer or freelance writer; articles often unsigned

Language discipline-specific vocabulary, specialized knowledge of the discipline required to understand the article

no specialized background knowledge of the subject matter required to understand the article

Intended audience

researchers and experts in the field general public

Article lay-out and design

structured articles with sub-headings like abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, bibliography

often do not follow a specific format or structure

Images images that support the text are often charts or tables; few colour photos

colour photos support the text

Editorial review

experts in the field review and critically evaluate articles before publication

articles are not critically evaluated by discipline experts

 

What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?

  Primary Sources Secondary Sources Content created at the time of an event, or very

soon after

created by someone who saw or heard an event themselves

often one-of-a-kind, or rare

created after event; sometimes a long time after something happened

often uses primary sources as examples

expresses an opinion or an argument about a past event

Examples diaries, letters, memoirs, speeches, manuscripts, interviews, statistics, treaties, laws, research articles, records of information collected by the government, organizations, committees (can all be primary sources)

history text books, historical movies and biographies (can all be secondary sources)

Eamon, Michael. (Library and Archives Canada, 2004). Defining primary and secondary sources. Retrieved 09.05.07 from http://www.collectionscanada.ca/education/008-3010-e.html#e

What are the differences between books, articles and websites?

  Strengths Weaknesses Books In-depth coverage accessible from the library during

operating hours only

usually only one copy available for loan Periodicals Current

Multiple users can access the same electronic article simultaneously

difficult to identify the most important articles on a topic, as there's often so many

Websites Accessible 24x7; free! require extra-special evaluation, as websites can be posted by anyone

 

 

 

Step Three: Analyzing and Evaluating

Before you incorporate information from a book, article, website or other source in your research paper, consider the following:

·        Who is the author? What are his or her credentials? Is it possible to learn more about the individual?

·        Does the author refer to or provide a bibliography of other sources? A bibliography can indicate that the author is knowledgeable and has done some research.

·        Who is the publisher? Is it a recognized university press, a reputable commercial publisher or a vanity press?

·        What is the agenda, bias or point-of-view of the publisher, sponsoring organization or individual?

·        When was the information published? Consider whether you need current or historical information?

·        Where was the information published? Consider whether you require Canadian, US or international perspectives on your topic.

·        Does the publication's intended purpose support your research needs?

·        Can the information be verified?

·        Is the publication peer-reviewed (reviewed by experts in the field)?

For help with these questions, see previous  Comparing Sources of Information

Special Considerations for Websites

·        Is there a publisher or sponsoring organization for the website? Or, is this a personal web page?

·        Why was the site created?

·        Can you identify the place of origin or where the web site was created?

·        How current is the information on the website? Is there a "last updated" date or copyright date?

Clues:

·        Look at the URL. Does it incorporate a person's name or is it an organization? Does it have a ~, which might indicate that it is a private page? What is the URL ending? Look for a link that tells "About" the organization or authors.

·        Check the page header and footer.

·        Look for any "disclaimers" that may be linked from the page. 

 

More Information

For more information on evaluating websites, please refer to:

·        Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorialby UC Berkley Library

·        Criteria for Evaluating Internet Resourcesby University of British Columbia Library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Four: Presenting Information and Citing Sources