Steps to Successful Research: Introduction

1. Steps to Successful Research: Introduction This lesson provides tips and information on how to conduct successful research using library resources. Sometimes it can be difficult to begin a research paper or project. You may not know where to begin or which resources would be the best.

2. Steps to Successful Research: Introduction • Certain factors affect the information required for a research on a paper, including: • time constraints • the length of the paper • the paper's topic • your prior knowledge of the research subject • the style of the paper • the type and number of sources that can be used • plus many others

3. Steps to Successful Research: Introduction • How to start? • Here are some steps for successful research!

4. Step 1 to Successful Research Review the assignment • Review the specific assignment to insure that you understand the instructor's requirements. • It will not matter how wonderful or detailed a job you do on your assignment if it does not meet with the approval of your instructor • Therefore ask questions if you are not sure!

5. Step 1 to Successful Research Review the assignment • Some important considerations for an assignment: • TOPIC: Has the instructor assigned a topic, either general or specific? • PURPOSE: Is this an informational or persuasive paper, an essay, or another type of paper? • LENGTH: How many pages are required? • SOURCES: Are there suggested sources, or restrictions on the number and type of sources? • DEADLINE: When is the assignment due?

6. Step 2 to Successful Research Select your topic • Select Your Topic • Sometimes this can be a difficult decision. • Your research will be easier, if you select a topic that: • Interests you, or is something that you want to know more about • Meets your instructor's requirements • Has sufficient information that is readily available

7. Step 2 to Successful ResearchSelect your topic • You can gather topic ideas from: • A list of topics assigned by your instructor • Textbooks or assigned readings • Preliminary reading in general encyclopedias [Wikipedia], newspapers, or magazines • Bibliographies in the back of books on your topics • Also, many electronic databases provide subject term or topic guide searching

8. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic • Refine Your Topic From Broad to Narrow Concepts • You can narrow your topic by identifying ideas or concepts included in a broader topic. • For example, you would like to write a 2-page paper on the topic of violence. But violence is such a large concept that it would be difficult to write an all-encompassing paper. It would be best to narrow this topic down. • Narrower topics for the subject violence would be topics such as: violence in the media, domestic violence, or gun control.

9. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic • Now you try it! • Below is a list of related topics. Please choose the topic that you consider to be the broadest term. • Transportation • Cars • Vehicles • Ford Explorer

10. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic Transportation is the broadest term.

11. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic • Now, choose the topic that you consider to be the narrowest term. • Plants • Flowers • Petunias • Agriculture

12. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic Petunias is the narrowest term.

13. Step 3 to Successful Research Refine your topic • Some sources that can help you narrow your topic: • Library catalogs, databases, encyclopedias, newspapers, or magazine articles [theory] • Googling [reality]

14. Step 3 to Successful ResearchRefine your topic • Example: the online catalog • If you perform a library catalog search for the topic "violence" you will retrieve the following: • Crimes of violence, children and violence, conjugal violence, and other terms.

15. Step 3 to Successful ResearchRefine your topic • Example: databases, newspapers, and magazine articles • If you perform a search for the topic "violence" using the databases Academic Search Premier®, MasterFILE Premier®, and Newspaper Source® from the EBSCOhost Web®, you will retrieve: • Over 100,000 articles.

16. Step 3 to Successful ResearchRefine your topic • Example: encyclopedia • If you search for the word "violence" in the World Book Encyclopedia® [www.worldbook.com] you will be referred to the following subjects: crime, revolution, riot, and terrorism

17. Step 3 to Successful ResearchRefine your topic • Once you decide on your topic, the topic should be written as a thesis statement, or short sentence that: • Defines the main idea of your paper • States what you will describe or prove in your paper

18. Next Topic Plan Your Search Strategy

19. Step 4 to Successful Research: Plan Your Search Strategy • It is very helpful to map out the main ideas of your topic. This can be useful in the search for information. • Make a list of keywords related to your topic using: • Main ideas • Synonyms or words with the same or similar meaning

20. Step 4 to Successful Research: Plan Your Search Strategy • Develop search terms: • Start with one search term, even though your results may be too broad, then • Add a second search term with the Boolean Operators AND or OR. • AND narrows a search; results are limited to materials that include all of the specified text • OR broadens a search; results are materials that include any of the search terms in the text. • Even though OR broadens rather than narrows your topic, its use is important especially when attempting to include all aspects of your topic, e.g.: • Physicians OR Doctors • Lawyers OR Attorneys • Add additional search terms as needed

21. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources • Sources to use for an overview of a topic: • General encyclopedias, e.g. Encyclopedia Americana® • Specialized encyclopedias, e.g. Encyclopedia of Drama® • Specialized dictionaries. e.g. Dictionary of Classical Mythology® • General interest periodicals (magazines and newspapers)

22. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources • Sources to use for specialized information: • Books (search the online catalog for specific titles; browse call number location for related titles) • Scholarly journals (journals published for academics or professionals; the library's holdings include print journals and electronic databases with full text) • Internet (use caution with this source; you must evaluate Internet sources for credibility, authority, and currency)

23. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources Let's review! Which source or sources would be the best for each of the following:A report that covers current events?

24. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources Magazines, journals, and newspapers would have the most current, reliable information. The Internet is current, but you would need to be careful about the reliability!

25. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources Which source or sources would have an overview of a topic?

26. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources An encyclopedia or other reference book would provide a ready source of fast, reliable information.

27. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources Which source or sources would provide research on current, general information?

28. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources A popular magazine or newspaper would provide research for this kind of topic.

29. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources Which source would be best for in-depth, scholarly information?

30. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources A scholarly, peer-reviewed journal would provide information for this type of topic.

31. Step 5 to Successful Research: Gather Sources • Keep track of sources used for citing documentation: • Write down all the publication information, pages used, etc. • Know what style format is required for citations (example: APA) • With your research completed, you are ready to start writing your paper!!

32. For More Information AboutResearch Basics... • Here are some Web sites that provide additional information about starting a research paper. • Research 101: (http://www.lib.washington.edu/uwill/research101/topic00.htm). This is an excellent tutorial developed by the University Libraries of the University of Washington. There are several segments. This particular segment describes how to choose and focus on a research topic. • Research & Writing: Step By Step is a resource created by as part of the Teen Space @ the Internet Public Library that provides information and tips on how to write a research paper. This Web site can be found at (http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/stepfirst.htm).