Steps in the Research Process

Get Organized!

TIP: Use PA's Planning Assignments tool to plan your time wisely.

STEP TWO: CHOOSE AND EXPLORE YOUR TOPIC

Choose a broad topic or area of interest	Need help?
Find and read an overview of the topic

STEP THREE: NARROW AND FOCUS YOUR TOPIC

	TIP: How to get focused
Check in with your teacher or a librarian to save time and make sure that you are on track

STEP FOUR: WRITE A WORKING THESIS OR DRIVING QUESTION

How to develop a driving question and/or Write a Thesis

Gather Information

Click here for: Helpful explanations of frequently confused concepts

STEP FIVE: FIND, REVIEW, AND EVALUATE BOOKS

How to find books in:				TIP: Use RedLightGreen to search for books and record their citations
The OWH Library Catalog	All NOBLE Libraries	MASS Virtual Catalog	OCLC World CAT
How to locate information within a source				How to take notes

STEP SIX: FIND, REVIEW AND EVALUATE PERIODICALS

How to find magazine and journals	How to find Newspapers
A to Z Database List	Save time! Ask a librarian to recommend a good database for your topic.
Databases by Discipline

STEP SEVEN: FIND, REVIEW, AND EVALUATE WEB SITES

How to find good sites on the Internet
	TIP: It's essential to evaluate

Use the Information

STEP EIGHT: CREATE AN OUTLINE FOR THE PAPER OR PRESENTATION

How to develop an outline

The Writing Center can help

STEP NINE: WRITE A FIRST DRAFT

Make sure to avoid Plagiarism	The Writing Center can help
Tips on writing a first draft

STEP TEN: CONDUCT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AS NECESSARY

Make an appointment with a subject librarian to help fill in your research gaps

STEP ELEVEN: REVISE AND REWRITE

Tips for good writing

STEP TWELVE: FINALIZE YOUR PAPER OR PRESENTATION

Documenting your sources	Print sources	The Writing Center can help
	Electronic sources
Cite your sources using RefWorks
Tips for Presentations with Movies

4. Take time to reflect on your process and the product you produced

Are you satisfied with your efforts and outcome? If not, be sure to review this process thoroughly before your next assignment. Make an appointment with an Instructional Librarian as soon as you receive your assignment to make sure that you get off on the right track next time.

GOOD GENERAL GUIDES FOR THE RESEARCH PROCESS

A+ Guide to Research and Writing (Internet Public Library)

OWL: Online Writing Lab (Purdue University)

QuickStudy: Library Research Guide (University of Minnesota Libraries)

Sources (Dartmouth College)

Research Tutorial from University of Washington Libraries

Get Organized!
Gather information
Use the Information
Take time to Reflect