THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Decide on a topic
Find something you are interested in or a topic your teacher has recommended. Find some general information to read about the subject and determine some areas that you might be able to discuss or take a stand on. Your topic should become less general and more specific as you gather information. Be sure to record what you found and where you found it. This information will be used later.
Find something you are interested in or a topic your teacher has recommended. Find some general information to read about the subject and determine some areas that you might be able to discuss or take a stand on. Your topic should become less general and more specific as you gather information. Be sure to record what you found and where you found it. This information will be used later.
Narrow the topic
Once you have decided on a topic of interest begin researching for background information. This is material that gives broad, general information about the topic. Places like indexes, table of contents, and encyclopedias may help you to find a manageable topic.
Example:
Cancer- Find any information about cancer.
Cancer is a very broad topic. There are more specific
topics to be discussed that would fall under the topic
of cancer. Reading this information will help you
narrow your topic.
Lung Cancer- While reading information about cancer you find that
there are different types of cancer and decide to focus
on lung cancer. As you begin reading about lung
cancer you will find that there are many different aspects of
the subject that can be researched. Lung cancer is still
a very broad subject to discuss in one research paper.
You find that you could discuss who gets lung
cancer, the treatment of lung cancer, how lung cancer develops,
consequences of lung cancer, and causes of lung cancer.
The Rising Costs of New Technology in the Treatment of Lung Cancer-
The background information you read about lung cancer
gave you several ideas about what you wanted to say
concerning the subject. You have decided that
you would like to research the rising costs of the new
technology used in treatments for lung cancer. This is a
manageable topic for a research paper.
Once you have decided on a topic of interest begin researching for background information. This is material that gives broad, general information about the topic. Places like indexes, table of contents, and encyclopedias may help you to find a manageable topic.
Example:
Cancer- Find any information about cancer.
Cancer is a very broad topic. There are more specific
topics to be discussed that would fall under the topic
of cancer. Reading this information will help you
narrow your topic.
Lung Cancer- While reading information about cancer you find that
there are different types of cancer and decide to focus
on lung cancer. As you begin reading about lung
cancer you will find that there are many different aspects of
the subject that can be researched. Lung cancer is still
a very broad subject to discuss in one research paper.
You find that you could discuss who gets lung
cancer, the treatment of lung cancer, how lung cancer develops,
consequences of lung cancer, and causes of lung cancer.
The Rising Costs of New Technology in the Treatment of Lung Cancer-
The background information you read about lung cancer
gave you several ideas about what you wanted to say
concerning the subject. You have decided that
you would like to research the rising costs of the new
technology used in treatments for lung cancer. This is a
manageable topic for a research paper.
Find Background Information
Research information about your topic. Look in print resources, online databases, speak to experts in the field, or find credible websites. If you find too much information on your topic it may be too broad. If you do not find enough information on your topic you may need to choose another one. Do not waste time if you cannot find enough information. Talk to your teacher and see if you are able to choose another topic. When searching, use indexes, table of contents, and keywords.
Note: Some people start with this step and work on their topics using this information.
Research information about your topic. Look in print resources, online databases, speak to experts in the field, or find credible websites. If you find too much information on your topic it may be too broad. If you do not find enough information on your topic you may need to choose another one. Do not waste time if you cannot find enough information. Talk to your teacher and see if you are able to choose another topic. When searching, use indexes, table of contents, and keywords.
Note: Some people start with this step and work on their topics using this information.
Evaluate Information
Gather the information that will help you write your paper. When evaluating your sources, try to determine where the information has come from. In other words if you are using a book, find the publishing information and know the author. Information might be biased if the author or publisher is supported by or associated with the information.
Example: If Bill Gates is writing the book, he would probably not be
completely objective about one of Microsoft's products.
Gather the information that will help you write your paper. When evaluating your sources, try to determine where the information has come from. In other words if you are using a book, find the publishing information and know the author. Information might be biased if the author or publisher is supported by or associated with the information.
Example: If Bill Gates is writing the book, he would probably not be
completely objective about one of Microsoft's products.
Cite Sources
Determine which citation format, MLA or APA, you are to use with your research paper. Either find the manual for that format in your library or use one of the online sites that helps with citations. Citations are the publication information such as author, copyright date, name of book or article, editor, publisher, publishing city, url for a website, or the database name if it is online. The easiest way to do this is to keep index or note cards with that information on it as you find them. Then when you are ready to put together your bibliography, reference list, or works cited page you have all the information needed to complete it.
Example of Note Card Information
FRONT OF CARD
Title
Author
Copyright Date
Publisher
Publishing Place
Pages Used
BACK OF CARD
On this side of the card put the information you think
you might use or what you think you might do with this information.
Make a note to yourself here if what you are using is a direct quote
or a paraphrase.
The Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is what makes a research paper different from a report. The thesis statement is the driving force of your paper. It states what you are trying to prove with your research. Make sure that you have enough information to prove what you say in your thesis statement. The thesis statement is where you let your reader know exactly what you are trying to say. Example: Students should not be required to take higher math courses in high school unless they are entering a field with that requirement. Your reader will know that you are going to discuss why students should not be required to take higher math courses in high school. There are two ways to give readers this information.
Using the example above you might say:
Undivided thesis statement
Students should not be required to take higher math in high school unless they are entering a field with that requirement.
Divided thesis statement
Students should not be required to take higher math in high school unless they are entering a field with that as a requirement because ________, _______, and ________.
The helpful thing about the divided thesis is that if you can fill in those blanks then you have an outline for your paper. It is then just a matter of plugging in those 3 reasons students should not be forced to take higher math and you have the body of your paper.
*The thesis statement is usually found in the introduction of a research paper. More specifically, it is usually the last sentence or two in the introduction of the paper.
Determine which citation format, MLA or APA, you are to use with your research paper. Either find the manual for that format in your library or use one of the online sites that helps with citations. Citations are the publication information such as author, copyright date, name of book or article, editor, publisher, publishing city, url for a website, or the database name if it is online. The easiest way to do this is to keep index or note cards with that information on it as you find them. Then when you are ready to put together your bibliography, reference list, or works cited page you have all the information needed to complete it.
Example of Note Card Information
FRONT OF CARD
Title
Author
Copyright Date
Publisher
Publishing Place
Pages Used
BACK OF CARD
On this side of the card put the information you think
you might use or what you think you might do with this information.
Make a note to yourself here if what you are using is a direct quote
or a paraphrase.
The Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is what makes a research paper different from a report. The thesis statement is the driving force of your paper. It states what you are trying to prove with your research. Make sure that you have enough information to prove what you say in your thesis statement. The thesis statement is where you let your reader know exactly what you are trying to say. Example: Students should not be required to take higher math courses in high school unless they are entering a field with that requirement. Your reader will know that you are going to discuss why students should not be required to take higher math courses in high school. There are two ways to give readers this information.
Using the example above you might say:
Undivided thesis statement
Students should not be required to take higher math in high school unless they are entering a field with that requirement.
Divided thesis statement
Students should not be required to take higher math in high school unless they are entering a field with that as a requirement because ________, _______, and ________.
The helpful thing about the divided thesis is that if you can fill in those blanks then you have an outline for your paper. It is then just a matter of plugging in those 3 reasons students should not be forced to take higher math and you have the body of your paper.
*The thesis statement is usually found in the introduction of a research paper. More specifically, it is usually the last sentence or two in the introduction of the paper.