The Seven Steps of the Research Process
The following seven steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper or speech and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC.
SUMMARY: State your topic as a question. For example, 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?” Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question.
STEP 2: FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
SUMMARY: Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject encyclopedias. Read articles in these encyclopedias to set the context for your research. Note any relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles. Additional information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.
STEP 3: USE CATALOGS TO FIND BOOKS.
SUMMARY: Use keyword searching for a narrow or complex search topic. Use subject searching for a broad subject. Print or write down the citation (author, title, etc.) and the location information. Note the circulation status. When you pull the book from the shelf, scan the bibliography for additional sources. Watch for book-length bibliographies and annual reviews on your subject; they list citations to hundreds of books and articles in one subject area. Check the standard subject subheading “BIBLIOGRAPHIES,” or titles beginning with Annual Review of in the Cornell Library Catalog.
STEP 4: USE INDEXES TO FIND PERIODICAL ARTICLES.
SUMMARY: Use periodical indexes and abstracts to find citations to articles. The indexes and abstracts may be in print or computer-based formats or both. Choose the indexes and format best suited to your particular topic; ask at the reference desk if you need help figuring out which index and format will be best.
STEP 5A: FIND INTERNET RESOURCES.
SUMMARY: Use the Motlow Online Library to research Academic Sources. Use search engines and subject directories to locate materials on the Web. Check to see if your class has a bibliography or research guide created by librarians.
STEP 5B: FIND AUDIO AND VIDEO RESOURCES.
STEP 6: EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND.
SUMMARY: See How to Critically Analyze Information Sources and Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria for suggestions on evaluating the authority and quality of the books and articles you locate. If you have found too many or too few sources, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic. Check with a reference librarian or your instructor.
STEP 7: CITE WHAT YOU FIND USING A STANDARD FORMAT.
Give credit where credit is due. Cite your sources using one of the styles listed below or another style approved by your instructor. Handouts summarizing the APA and MLA styles are available at Uris and Olin Reference.
RESEARCH TIPS:
WORK FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC.
Find background information first, then use more specific and recent sources.
RECORD WHAT YOU FIND AND WHERE YOU FIND IT.
Write out a complete citation for each source you find; you may need it again later.
TRANSLATE YOUR TOPIC INTO THE SUBJECT LANGUAGE OF THE INDEXES AND CATALOGS YOU USE.
Databases | Motlow State Community College Library (mscc.edu)
Supporting Materials: Materials used to support the speaker’s ideas
Types of Supporting Materials:
1. Examples
2. Narration-telling a story
3. Definitions-helps in harder to understand concepts
4. Facts/Statistics
5. Testimony
:Expert
:Peer
Research:
*It is YOUR responsibility as the speaker to make sure that your information is thorough, accurate, relevant and reliable. What is GOOD research? Start with academic sources. You are a college student; research will be more than Google now. Utilize Motlow’s extensive academic databases for your college work from this point forward.
1. Assess your personal knowledge
2. Develop a Research Plan: What information will best support your points?
3. Collect Information
4. Record your information: WORKS CITED
Library Research:
1. Librarian
2. Indexes
3. Newspapers
4. Magazines and Periodicals
5. Reference Works: Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Atlases, etc.
6. Internet:
Guidelines:
A. There is a difference between a website and an online database
B. Verify information you read on internet
C. Don’t cite someone who is simply reporting information (i.e. CNN, FoxNews, etc.)
The Seven Steps of the Research Process
The following seven steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper or speech and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC.
SUMMARY: State your topic as a question. For example, 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?” Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question.
STEP 2: FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
SUMMARY: Look up your keywords in the indexes to subject encyclopedias. Read articles in these encyclopedias to set the context for your research. Note any relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles. Additional information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.
STEP 3: USE CATALOGS TO FIND BOOKS.
SUMMARY: Use keyword searching for a narrow or complex search topic. Use subject searching for a broad subject. Print or write down the citation (author, title, etc.) and the location information. Note the circulation status. When you pull the book from the shelf, scan the bibliography for additional sources. Watch for book-length bibliographies and annual reviews on your subject; they list citations to hundreds of books and articles in one subject area. Check the standard subject subheading “BIBLIOGRAPHIES,” or titles beginning with Annual Review of in the Cornell Library Catalog.
STEP 4: USE INDEXES TO FIND PERIODICAL ARTICLES.
SUMMARY: Use periodical indexes and abstracts to find citations to articles. The indexes and abstracts may be in print or computer-based formats or both. Choose the indexes and format best suited to your particular topic; ask at the reference desk if you need help figuring out which index and format will be best.
STEP 5A: FIND INTERNET RESOURCES.
SUMMARY: Use the Motlow Online Library to research Academic Sources. Use search engines and subject directories to locate materials on the Web. Check to see if your class has a bibliography or research guide created by librarians.
STEP 5B: FIND AUDIO AND VIDEO RESOURCES.
STEP 6: EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND.
SUMMARY: See How to Critically Analyze Information Sources and Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals: A Checklist of Criteria for suggestions on evaluating the authority and quality of the books and articles you locate. If you have found too many or too few sources, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic. Check with a reference librarian or your instructor.
STEP 7: CITE WHAT YOU FIND USING A STANDARD FORMAT.
Give credit where credit is due. Cite your sources using one of the styles listed below or another style approved by your instructor. Handouts summarizing the APA and MLA styles are available at Uris and Olin Reference.
Networked guides:
Format the citations in your bibliography using examples from the University of Illinois Writer’s Workshop Web site. Both Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) examples are available.
A brief online version of The Columbia Guide to Online Style also gives examples for citing networked resources.
RESEARCH TIPS:
WORK FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC.
Find background information first, then use more specific and recent sources.
RECORD WHAT YOU FIND AND WHERE YOU FIND IT.
Write out a complete citation for each source you find; you may need it again later.
TRANSLATE YOUR TOPIC INTO THE SUBJECT LANGUAGE OF THE INDEXES AND CATALOGS YOU USE.
Check your topic words against a thesaurus or subject heading list.
