Research Process

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Research Process

• Seven simple steps

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1 Identify and develop topic

• State your topic as a question
• If you are interested in finding out about use of
  alcoholic beverages by college students, you
  might pose the question
• What effect does use of alcoholic beverages have
  on the health of college students?

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Ask yourself

• What are the main concepts or keywords in your
  question?
• If you have webbed your thoughts, these
  concepts/keywords will be the three aspects you
  present/debate/define in your paper.

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2 Find background info

• Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject
  encyclopedias.
• Do a WEB search but realize not everything you
  read on the Internet is true (really)!
• Read articles to define the direction of your
  research.
• Note relevant bibliographies following articles.
  They may lead you elsewhere a place no human
  has dared go!

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Be a detective!

• Sometimes valuable information is hidden.
• Look under every leaf.
• Interview friends and relatives -- these
  discussions would be considered PRIMARY sources
  and while they may be opinions, these quotations
  help validate your point of view or disprove
  it, too!

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3 Use catalogs to find books

• Ah, yes, books! You remember them.
• Not every source should come from the Internet.
• Visit the OSU-Newark Library website to access
  books from across the state.
• Be sure to write down the title, the call number,
  and the authors name.

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4 Use indexes to find periodical articles

• Magazine articles can be found by using
  periodical indexes. The OSU-N Library website has
  dozens to choose from.
• You can find articles if you know the author,
  title, or keyword.
• Some texts are available on-line. You can print
  them directly to a printer.
• Treat these sources as if they were the magazine
  article itself, not a web version.

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5 Internet resources

• Use search engines and subject directories.
• Some search engines allow you to fine-tune your
  search. Look for advanced search.

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6 Audio and video

• There are reliable audio and video resources
  available.
• For example The sinking of the Lusitania during
  World War I.
• Terrific video of the expedition conducted by Dr.
  Bob Ballard produced in mid-90s.

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7 Evaluate what you find

• If you have found too many or too few sources,
  you may need to narrow or broaden your topic. Do
  not bite off more than you can chew!
• Ask a librarian if the source is credible. A book
  about Hollywood written by a plumber probably is
  not a good source.

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8 Cite what you find

• Give credit where credit is due.
• Cite your sources
• Do not plagiarize.
• MLA or APA format is acceptable.
• If you need information about these, please ask
  me for assistance. Most classes on campus are
  using the MLA format and you should become
  familiar with it sooner rather than later.

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Need help?

• Libraries can be intimidating.
• Our campus library, however, is NOT!
• Will McElhaney is a goldmine of information and
  is eager to help students. He is on-campus during
  the daytime.
• View research as a journey, an expedition.
  Research can be fun. Take good notes, develop
  your own style of research skills.