Student Research
Information for student researchers
Compiled by: Kelly Nieman
January 2007
Developing a Research Paper
Essential Steps
Understand the assignment:
What is the paper’s purpose? What are some course-specific elements?
- Determine How to Achieve this Purpose
- Consider topic, idea, purpose, and audience
- Brainstorm Ideas - click here - (see “Thought Starters” at or the handout in the LHWL Information Center.)
- Scope: to broaden or to narrow
- Amount of resources available
- Popularity of Subject Area
(see “How to Narrow or Broaden Your Topic” - click here)
- Determine Thesis Statement or Research Question (& get it approved by the teacher!)
- Research!!! (see “Research Guide” Handout in the LHWL Information Center)
- Finding & evaluating sources
- Taking notes
- Citing sources
- Outline
- First Draft
- Revise: personal & Peer editing
- Proofread: search for errors
- Final Draft
Sources for Preliminary Research
Background Information:
The following resources are likely not authoritative enough to use as resources for your paper. But, they provide general information on topics that could help you focus the paper.
The Columbia Encyclopedia: Sixth Edition
Encyclopedia.Com
Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Online
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed
Dictionary.com
Infoplease: All the Knowledge You Need
Global Statistics
Fast Facts
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Card Catalog:
Library’s electronic database of resources. This is a searchable lists of items available at the library. Many card catalogs can be checked via the internet from any computer.
Keyword Search vs. Subject Search:
Keyword = a word found in the electronic book record (included in the title or subject heading)
Subject = a phrase explaining which broad topic or category best summarizes the book’s content
Tip: Try both a keyword and a subject search for best results!
 Books
- Books are printed sources that have been professionally published and bound together.
- Fiction Books are imaginary stories, and are not normally appropriate for research.
- Non-Fiction books are books containing factual information.
- Reference Books are non-fiction books that cannot be checked out of the library.
- Non-Fiction & Reference books are good sources of information for research.
- E-Books are electronic versions of printed books and can be useful elements of research.
 Periodicals
- Periodicals are printed sources that have been professionally published.
- Periodicals are meant to be “disposable”: they are published in temporary format.
- Periodicals include newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets.
- Most periodicals are non-fiction sources: they include mainly factually information
- Most periodicals are NOT scholarly or meant for research. They are meant as a form of popular current information to an uneducated audience.
- Scholarly Journals are the best source of authoritative information for research.
***See Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from other Periodicals ***
Databases
- Databases are a collection of periodical articles.
- Databases are organized and searchable.
- Most databases are fee-based subscriptions: libraries pay for an electronic database subscription rather than paying for a subscription of paper copies.
- Databases are different than free search engines and normally more scholarly.
- The libraries pay the fee for the subscription – you get to use them for free!
- Databases provide citations for each article included.
- Citation - tells you the author, the title of the article, journal name, date, volume and issue number, the pages the article appears on, etc.
- Some databases provide only abstracts and others provide full-text documents.
- Abstract - a summary of the article.
- Full-text - all the words of the article
LHWL students may use www.mel.org - the Michigan Electronic Library databases. This is a collection of several powerful databases. MeL is free to all MI taxpayers.
- type www.mel.org into any web browswer.
- click on the “MeL Databases” link
- click on any database name (recommendations listed below)
- when prompted for a login, type in your parents’ or your own driver’s license number
Note: If you don’t have a driver’s license number (or don’t know it), type in the first letter of your last name & 12 random numerical digits
- When the search screen appears, begin searching!
Great Databases available on www.mel.org:
- Article First
- Gale Virtual Reference Library
- InfoTrac Student Edition
- SIRS Discoverer Deluxe
- Wilson Select Plus
- World Cat
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Internet
The Web is a lot like a flea market: there’s a vast selection of sites to choose from but not a lot of order to it. Some resources are trash, and some are treasures.
- Free internet sites can be developed, maintained, and accessed by anyone with an internet connection
- Free search engines help web users find information through keyword searches
- Many search engines rank sources by popularity
- Most subject directories rank sources by relevance
- Subject directories (free or fee) have been created by professionals and organize material by subject headings
***see Evaluating Internet Sources for more information ***
American Economic Review
JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
Modern Fiction Studies
SUBSTANTIVE NEWS OR GENERAL INTEREST
- News and general interest periodicals sometimes cite sources, though rarely.
- Articles may be written by a member of the editorial staff, a scholar, or a free lance writer.
- The language of these publications is geared to any educated audience.
- They are generally published by commercial enterprises or individuals.
- The main purpose of periodicals in this category is to provide general information to a broad audience.
EXAMPLES OF SUBSTANTIVE NEWS OR GENERAL INTEREST PERIODICALS:
Christian Science Monitor
Economist
National Geographic
New York Times
Scientific American
Vital Speeches of the Day
POPULAR
- These publications rarely, if ever, cite sources. The original source is sometimes obscure.
- Articles are usually very short, written in simple language and requiring little education.
- There is generally little depth to the content of these articles.
- The main purpose of popular periodicals is to entertain the reader, to sell products, and/or to promote a viewpoint.
EXAMPLES OF POPULAR PERIODICALS:
Ebony
Parents
People Weekly
Readers Digest
Sports Illustrated
Time
Vogue
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SENSATIONAL
- Their language is elementary and occasionally inflammatory or sensational. They assume a certain gullibility in their audience.
- The main purpose is to arouse curiosity and to cater to popular superstitions.
EXAMPLES OF SENSATIONAL PERIODICALS:
Globe
National Examiner
Star
Weekly World News
Evaluating Internet Sources
Not all sources are created equal!
How do you know if your information is valid?
Ask yourself these questions:
 What is the source of the information? Reliability.
Did it come from an academic, government or commercial site or an interest group? Do the goals of the sponsoring organization or individual affect the quality or objectivity of the information provided? What is the reputation of information source?
 Who made it available? Authority.
What are the author's credentials? Is this information from the top person in the field or from someone who just remembers reading something somewhere?
 What was the reason for making it available? Objectivity.
. Is it purely to collect and publish data, or are there any political, ideological, or other agendas? Is the information presented objectively, or does it reflect the biases of its author? Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence? How thorough is the coverage compared to other sources.
 How timely is the information? Relevance.
How old is the information? When was it published? Do you have the most recent version of the document? If it seems old, look for a more recent version.
Evaluation Quiz
After analyzing your works, you should answer yes to each of the following:
- Does the date of the source match the level of currency you need for your paper?
- Is the author a credible source?
- Is the source relevant & useful to your thesis or question?
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/critical.html#WEBEVAL)
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Internet Searching Suggestions:
How to find what you really want
 Identify keywords, phrases, and subject categories to use in your search.
- Play with your search terms..
- Identify synonyms, distinctive terms, alternative spellings.
- Think of broad topic categories associated with your search topic.
- If you don't succeed at one, try another.
- If you find a couple of good documents, examine them for new keywords and concepts and search again.
 Search mechanisms - click here
Boolean Logic
three primary search operators: AND, OR, and NOT.
Using AND narrows the search, returning documents that contain both words.
Using OR broadens search results, returning documents that contain either or both words.
The NOT operator will drop any documents that contain the excluded term
Other Boolean operators:
ADJ for words that are adjacent to one another
WITH or W# is usually used for words within the same sentence
SAME usually denotes words within the same paragraph.
Relevancy Searching
Relevancy searching ranks each document based on how well it matches the user's question: Most of these searches allow at least three forms of search expressions:
ALL, corresponds to the Boolean operator AND;
ANY, corresponds to the Boolean operator OR
PHRASE, which looks for the search terms adjacent to each other.
 Subject vs. Keyword searching
Subjects are categories assigned to documents/sites based on topic or category.
A keyword search looks at words in the title and content of a resource as well as the subject.
The best bet is to use both a keyword search engine and a subject index; preferably more than one of each. You maximize your opportunities to find what you want.
Note-Taking Suggestions
- Make sure you know where every note comes from.
- translate and rewrite your notable research findings in the note taking stage!!!
- Put a page number next to all notes just in case you need to know where it came from to come back to the source or to use the note in your paper.
- If you don't understand what a particular resource is saying, don't use it! You might misinterpret the information and undermine your argument.
- make sure you keep your thoughts and insights separate from your other notes.
- Devote an entire note card to each idea or note. Don't try to fit two sources (quotes and notes) on one card. No sharing space!
- Gather more than you need. Research until you have quite a few potential sources—about three times as many as your teacher recommends
- Avoid using abbreviations and code words as you record notes —You may not be able to understand your own clever codes after a day or two, either.
- Take care to distinguish between:
- background or commonly known facts
- other not-so-commonly-known facts such as some unbelievable statistic you found that you'll have to cite
- opinions [If Dr. Z "believes" something, then record that he believes it.]
- Include everything. For each note you will need to record:
- Author's name
- Title of reference (book, article, interview, etc.)
- Reference publication information
- Page number
- Your own personal comments
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http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/notes.html
Avoiding Plagiarism & Citing Sources
Or… giving credit where credit is due!
What’s Plagarism?
Plagiarism is using somebody else's words or ideas without giving them credit.
Plagiarism includes unintentionally omitting the original location of the idea.
The following are plagarism:
buying, stealing, or borrowing a paper (including copying an entire paper or article from the Web) hiring someone to write your paper for you copying large sections of text from a source without quotation marks or proper citation
How do I avoid Plagarism?
Include source information on all notes Summarize all information during the note taking stage When using 4 or more words in order from a source, place the phrase in quotation marks No more than 10% of the final paper should be within quotation marks
-Pasting a paragraph from an internet site into a word document, printing that document with your name on it, and submitting it for a grade is the same as cutting a page out of a library encyclopedia with a scissors, writing your name on the top, and turning that in to your teacher!
Why cite sources?
- In the U.S., Plagiarism = Cheating. It’s not only unethical, it’s illegal.
- Plagiarized assignments or reports can lead to a failing grade. Plagiarism in the workplace can lead to suspensions or expulsions.
- Plagiarism is not fair!
- Citing sources is easy (see below).
- Citing sources is responsible – it shows that you respect others’ words & ideas
How do I cite sources?
- Remember what type of source you’re citing – printed books, printed periodicals, subscription databases, and free internet sites are all cited differently
- Include parenthetical references & quotes within the body of the paper
- Include a works cited (MLA) or bibliography (APA) at the end of the paper
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
MLA Citation Guide
Note: for further MLA citation information, see the official MLA handbook or “MLA Style Citations” pamphlet available in the LHWL information center.
All students must cite sources in order to avoid plagiarism and conduct ethical research.
MLA style requires that researchers provide:
- an alphabetical “Works Cited” page at the end of the research paper and
- parenthetical references in the text of the research.
Important: Record bibliographic information while taking notes
to ensure all research is cited!!!
WORKS CITED LIST – EXAMPLES
Printed Materials
Books
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s), and Author#2FirstName(s) LastName. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of publication.
Journal Aricles
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s), and Author#2FirstName(s) LastName. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volume.Issue-if needed (Year or Date of Publication): Page numbers.
Magazine Articles
AuthorLastName, FirstName(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Magazine Day Month Year of Publication: page-numbers.
Newspaper Articles
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s). “Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper (City of Publication if not in title) Day Month Year o fPUblication, edition: page-numbers.
Interviews
IntervieweeLastName, FirstName(s). Interview, Type of interview, or “Title of Interview if given.” By InterviewerFirsName LastName if important. [include appropriate publication information as listed above, including page numbers]
Electronic Resources
**Electronic Resources are found or stored electronically, but are not free websites. These resources are available through library subscription services. **
Full-Text Journal Article from a Library Subscription Service (eg: mel.org, gale group, etc.)
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s), and Author#2FirstName(s) LastName. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal Volum.Issue if needed (Year or Date of Publication): Page numbers. Title of Database. Name of Service. Subscribing Library or Consortium, Location of Library if Needed to Identify It. Day Month Year of access <URL of database search page>.
Full Text Online Newspaper from a Library Subscription Service
AuthorLastName, FirstName(s). ”Title of Article.” Title of Newspaper (City of Publication If Not in Title) Day Month Year of Publication, edition: page-numbers. Day Month Year of access <URL>.
Online Books From a Library Database
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s), and Author#2FirstName(s) Lastname. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of publication. Day Month Year of access <URL>.
Online Resources
** Online Resources are available through the free internet through all internet connections. **
Website or Webpage within a Website
Author#1LastName, FirstName(s), and Author#2FirstName(s) Lastname. “Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate.” Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional Significant descriptive information. Date o fElectronic Publication or Last Updated Date. Day Month Year of access <URL>.
Online Magazine Articles
Author#1LastName, FirsstName(s). itle of Article.” Title of Magazine Day Month Year of Article or Publication: page-numbers if provided. Day Month Year of access <URL>.
Important: Only sources cited within the paper can be listed on
the Works Cited Page!
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MLA PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES – EXAMPLES
Important: Any information discovered by the researcher during research needs to be cited within the paper using parenthetical references. Only common sense information, general knowledge, and the researchers personal opinion can be included without parenthetical references.
Passage from a source with page numbers
(including electronic sources)
(Author#1LastName pg#s)
(Bernan 256)
(Dostoyevsky 38-39)
or…
Use author’s last name in the sentence (pg#s).
This is noted by both Fernandez (55-56) and Santi (410).
only list the page numbers that contain the specific information being referenced
Website or Webpage with Author
(Author#1LastName pg#s) if possible
(Author#1LastName PageTitle) if citing an unnumbered page
within a website
(Author#1LastName) if citing a single-page website
Website or Webpage with no author
(shortened<URL> page#s) if possible
(shortened<URL> PageTitle) if citing an unnumbered page
within a website
(shortened<URL>) if citing a single-page website
APA Citation Guide
Note: for further APA citation information, see the official APA handbook or “APA Style Citations” pamphlet available in the LHWL information center.
All students must cite sources in order to avoid plagiarism and conduct ethical research.
APA style requires that researchers provide:
- an alphabetical “Reference List” page at the end of the research paper and
- parenthetical references in the text of the research.
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Important: Record bibliographic information while taking notes
to ensure all research is cited!!!
REFERENCE LIST – EXAMPLES
Books
Author#1LastName, FirstInitial.SecondInitial., & Author#2LastName, B.B. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. PublicationLocation: Publisher.
Journal Article
Author#1LastName, A.A., & Author#2LastName, B.B. (Year of Publication). Title of Article. Title of Journal, volume, page numbers.
Magazine or Newspaper Article
Author#1LastName, A.A. or Article Title if no author. (Year, Month day of publication). Title of article if not given before [useful descriptive information]. Title of Magazine or Newspaper, volume, page numbers.
Online Article in Periodical
Author#1LastName, A.A. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume, page numbers. Retrieved Month day, year, from <URL>.
Website
Author#1LastName, A.A. (Year of Publication). Title of webpage: Subtitle if needed, Retrieved Month day, year, from <URL>.
PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES – EXAMPLE
(Author#1Last Name, Year of Publication)
Works Cited
Chadwick, Terry Brainerd. “How to Conduct Research on the Internet: Using Search Tools.” InfoQuest! 2001. 9 January 2007 http://www.tbchad.com/resrch.html#usearch.
Cornell University Library. “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals.” 2004. 9 January 2007 http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill20.html.
Online Writing Lab. “Writing a Research Paper: Research, Note-Take effectively.” 2004. 9 January 2007 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/notes.html.
Online Writing Lab. “Writing a Research Paper: Research, Web Evaluation.” 2004. 9 January 2007 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/critical.html#WEBEVAL).
The Writing Lab & The OWL @ Purdue. “Avoiding Plagiarism.” 2006. 10 January 2007 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/.
University of California Berkley Library. “APA Style Citations.” 2004. 10 December 2006 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/APAstyle.pdf.
University of California Berkley Library. “MLA Style Citations." 2004. 10 December 2006 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/MLAstyle.pdf.
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