Research Steps

Research is the process of gathering facts and evidence about a topic.
A research paper makes a point and supports it with evidence.

I Select a subject.

A Try to choose a topic that will interest you.
B Understand the limits of your paper.
C Understand the limits of your resources.

II Narrow the subject into a topic.

A The subject is general, the topic is more specific.
B There are two basic ways in which to narrow a subject into a topic.

1. Read general background materials such as encyclopedias.
2. Ask questions (who, what, where, when, why, & how).

III State the Objective. (What is the point?)

A Come up with your thesis statement or main argument.
B The thesis statement should not be a disputable fact.
C The thesis is not a personal prejudice.
D The thesis statement must present an argument you will define and prove with reason.

IV Prepare the Preliminary Bibliography.

A It is a list of books, articles, research material used for research.
B It should be completed before you do major research and write your paper.
C These are sources to use.

1. The Card Catalog is listed by author, title, and subject.
2. The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature is a comprehensive tool.

D Use index cards.

1. Bibliography Cards are used to index your source materials.
2. Subject Cards are used to help you organize your materials.
3. The Reference Room/Library houses much of the needed information for your research.

E Research outside the library for additional source materials such as

1 Interviews.
2. Surveys/Questionnaires.
3. Writing letters.
4. TV and Radio.
5. Local newspaper files.
6. Community service organizations.
7. Museum exhibits/Special Centers.

V Prepare a Working Outline.

A The "scratch" outline helps to organize information and gives you a plan.
B Place the thesis statement at the top of the outline paper, after the title "Outline".
C Divide the thesis into subheadings
D Come up with categories for each subheading (at least an "A" and a "B" for each).

1. Use Roman numerals for headings.
2. Use capital letters for Subheadings.

E. There are two basic types of outlines. Be consistent.

1. The phrase outline uses phrases only.
2. The sentence outlines uses sentences only.

VI Take Notes when going through your research materials.

A Begin writing your subject cards.
B Collect statistics, quotes,and other details relating to your topic.
C There should only be one piece of information per note card.
D First read the source, then write notes on the note cards, concentrating on the most important information.
E Start with the most important source
F There are three kinds of note cards: Summary (most often used), Direct Quotation, & Paraphrase.

VII Outline the paper.

A This is the plan of organization for your paper.
B The thesis is the controlling idea of your paper.
C Organize your cards into groups according to your outline.
D There are three ways in which to organize an outline.

1. Comparison
2. Chronological (Time Order)
3. Organization by Examples (as in theme papers)

VIII Write the draft.

A You need an introduction, body, and conclusion.
B Introduction will include...

1. The ideas you will be presenting.
2. Capturing your reader's interest.
3. Your thesis statement.

C The body of your paper...

1. Is an expansion of your outline.
2. Goes through a series of drafts.
3. Supports your thesis with research.

D The conclusions summarizes your findings and restates your thesis/main ideas.
E To record your sources, use Works Cited & Annotated Bibliography Pages.

A Transitions between paragraphs must be smooth.
B Check for grammatical and spelling errors.
C Check for correct structure
D Write more drafts and continue to revise.
E Ask questions at every step.
F Read your paper out loud.

X Prepare the final paper.

A Include a title page.

1. The title must be based on the thesis.|
2. It must not be too general.
3. It should be interesting.

B Finish all required pages.

1. Everything is to be typed and double-spaced.
2. Take pride in the final product.