Understanding Your Assignment
Before you begin finding sources for your assignment. Review your assignment to determine:
- How many sources do you need?
- What types of sources you need?
- Books, articles, or websites?
- Do they need to be scholarly journal articles?
- What citation style are you required to use?
- Keep track of your sources as you go
Developing a Research Topic video
The Research Process
The Research Process:
1. Develop your Research Topic:
- Discuss your Research Topic with your Instructor to get ideas.
- Use Opposing Viewpoints database to browse topics and get ideas.
2. Select Keywords from your Research Topic:
- Use Keywords for searching for Books/eBooks and the Article Databases.
- How many Sources do you need and do they have to be Scholarly or Popular Sources?
3. Search the Library Catalog to find Books & eBooks:
- Books & eBooks provide background research.
- Background research gives you an overview and helps you to understand the main topic points.
4. Search the Library's Databases to find Articles:
- Add Keywords to focus your search so that your topic is not too broad or too narrow.
- Getting too many results? Try narrowing your search by publication date range, so you get the most current results.
5. Evaluate your Sources:
- Ask yourself, do the Sources fit your Research Topic?
- Are they scholarly or popular sources that fit the assignment requirements?
6. Create your Works Cited or Reference page:
- A Works Cited or Reference page list your sources and citations.
- It shows where you got the information to support your Research Topic and gives credit to that person or organization.
- It also shows that you did not plagiarize or copy someone else's work.
Need help? Ask a Librarian, we are always here to help you with your research assignments.
