The Research Process

Library 10 – Information Competency

Five steps to research success:

1. Select a topic

2. Plan your research strategy

3. Locate and evaluate information

4. Produce your paper/speech/project

5. Cite your sources

In this presentation you will learn:

Select a topic

• Your instructor may provide the topic for you, or a list from which you can select.

• You may be free to choose something of interest to you.

Define what is needed

A need is a problem that must be solved, a question that must be answered, or a task that must be performed.

Think about your topic

• Formulate a research question.

Effective research question:What effect does divorce have on academicachievement in elementary school children?

Ineffective research question:What effect does divorce have?

Judgment vs. opinion

• Judgment is supported by facts and verifiable data.

• Opinion is your personal view.

Think about your topic 2

• Formulate a research question.

Effective research question:What effect does divorce have on academicachievement in elementary school children?

Ineffective research question:What effect does divorce have?

• Narrow or broaden your topic as needed.

Narrowing your topic

Cars

Toyotas

Toyota Camry

Broadening your topic

Red Rose

Roses

Flowers

Broad topic to focused question

broad topic: illegal immigration

restricted topic: border fences

narrowed topic: border fence between Mexico & US

focused research question: Has the portion of the Mexico-US border fence already completed helped decrease illegal immigrants from entering the US?

Narrowing a research question

• Use who, what, where, when to narrow a question

Original question: Should fast-food companies be held responsible for obesity?

Who? Children; men; women; families

What? Sued; court cases; calorie intake

Where? United States; California, McDonald’s

When? Today

Narrowed question: Should a parent be able to sue McDonald’s or other fast food companies if their child

has been diagnosed as obese?

Think about your topic 3

• Identify the main ideas and their synonyms or related terms.

Should marijuana be legalized like alcohol and tobacco?

marijuana legalizedpot allowed

weed legal

lawful

Think about your topic 4

• Break the main question into detailed questions

Should marijuana be legalized like alcohol and tobacco?

Who benefits from legalizing marijuana?

What about medical marijuana?

Where is marijuana legal?

Why is marijuana considered more dangerous than alcohol and tobacco?

How would legalized marijuana be regulated?

Plan your research strategy

• How much information do you need?

• What kind of sources do you need to use?

What are primary sources?

• Eyewitness accounts

• Laboratory data

• Interviews

• Original manuscripts or original research

What are secondary sources?

• Works that report about or interpret primary sources

• Reviews

• Criticism

• Editorials

• Analysis

What are scholarly sources?

Sources that:

• Are written by a scholar or a professional in the field.

• Cite their sources of information.

• Give research results.

• Include specialized vocabulary.

• Are aimed at a scholarly audience.

• Are published by professional organizations, associations, scholarly groups or universities and colleges.

Plan your research strategy 2

• How much information do you need?

• What kind of sources do you need to use?

• What kind of formats do you need?

Types of sources

• Books

• Periodical articles

• Online subscription database articles

• Web sources

Locate your information

• Go “fishing.”

• Focus your searching

• Continue to refine your search by narrowing or broadening your topic as needed.

Evaluate your information

1. Authority

2. Accuracy

3. Content

4. Objectivity/Bias

5. Currency

Record your information

• Take notes and record your findings.

• Develop a working outline.

When is your research due? • Be sure to allow sufficient time for your project.

• Starting early eliminates last minute stress.

• Starting early allows time to retrieve good research material.

• Starting late you may find material already checked out.

The quality of your work is a reflection on you.

Produce your paper/speech/project

• Carefully follow any guidelines your instructor has given you.

• Find visual aid materials, if needed.

• Begin to write a tentative draft of your paper or speech from your notes and outline in your own words.

• Read through your paper or speech for content and language.

• Seek outside help for writing or grammar.

Tutoring Center

Cite your sources

• A complete citation should include enough identifying information so that a reader can locate a copy of the item if he wishes.

• Use the style recommended by your instructor.

Five Steps to Writing a Research Project

The five steps to research success

1. Select a topic

2. Plan your research strategy

3. Locate and evaluate information

4. Produce your paper/speech/project

5. Cite your sources