Conducting Research

Where to begin?

There are many considerations to contemplate:

• • What is the teacher requiring?
  • Where to start?
  • How to choose a topic?
  • How to write a thesis statement?  
  • Where do I find the information I need?
  • What are sources and how do they differ?  
  • What is "citing"?
  • How to structure a paper?

This web page is designed to help answer these questions and more. By following the directions contained here, students will be able to break down and chunk the big task of "research" into small, linear, and manageable steps. After quailing fear of the research monster, students often develop a skill set that makes research rewarding and for some, even fun.

Why Research?

The general goal of any research project is to teach you how to:

• Brainstorm and use self-directed study techniques on a topic you are interested in.
• Think critically and make intelligent observations to support, prove, or disprove an idea.
• Develop and organize your ideas in the form of a thesis and support.
• Collaborate, apply, and integrate source material from others who have made discoveries about your topic.
• Develop academic integrity and honesty by documenting sources according to style guides for citation.
• Creatively present your ideas correctly, logically, and creatively.

Know What Your Instructor Expects

• Listen and take notes as the instructor explains the project.
• Read the instructor's directions and or handouts thoroughly.  
• Read the grading rubric in advance.
• Consult the instructor's web page for clarification.
• Ask your instructor questions and be ready to show evidence that you have completed all of the above-mentioned strategies.

Nailing Down a Topic 

When we are given a choice of topics to write on, or are asked to come up with our topic ideas, we must always make choices that appeal to our interests, curiosity, and current knowledge. If you decide to write an art essay, for instance, it is obvious that you should make that decision because you are interested in the subject, know something about it already, and/or would like to know more about it. However, because we rarely write solely for our satisfaction, we must consider matters other than our interests as we choose topics. 

Who is your audience?

Your purpose helps you to narrow a topic since it demands particular approaches to a general subject. You need to ask yourself, "Who will be reading my research paper?"  One of the most important roles a topic plays is impacting an audience. Having a clear idea of the audience to whom you are writing will help you to determine an appropriate topic and how to present it.

What is your purpose for writing?

Sometimes, your ways of generating topics will depend on the type of research assignment you have been given. Here are some ideas of strategies you can use in finding topics for some of the more common types of writing assignments:

• Essays evaluating, responding to, or interpreting texts (Expository)
• Essays in which you take a position on an issue (Argument)
• Essays in which you are giving information on a topic (Informative)
• Essays in which you propose solutions to problems (Persuasive)