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Research Process for Assignments

This guide will walk you through the research process, from selecting a topic to doing your search and putting it all together.

Get Background Info: Context

  • Benefits of Background Research
    • You can't really speak coherently about the impact of the automobile on society if you aren't also aware of what the horse-drawn carriage society was like, what the state of manufacturing was like, the purchasing power of the auto's target demographic, and so on.
    • You learn the JARGON. Scholarly articles are written by experts, for experts. They don't usually take the time to remind their readers what a term or process means, the assumption being that the readers already know. This can also present a barrier to finding those articles, as well. What's a non-expert to do? You must learn to speak the language of the subject field.
    • IDEA DEVELOPMENT! Let your research help you do research. As you're learning about the context and picking up on new terminology, you'll also be noticing key people, places, and events that relate to your topic... all of which will help you delve into your deeper research more effectively.
  •  Useful sources of background info:
    • Your textbook
    • Dictionaries
    • General or subject-specific encyclopedias (including, yes, Wikipedia*)
    • News articles
  • Remember! The information you find at this stage probably won't (or shouldn't) end up in your final paper. You're just trying to explore your topic so that you have a good grasp of what you're looking for and so you can do your more effective research later.
  • Suggested Library Resources: