UWC Writing Workshops Fall 2013

Research: What is it?  What is your working definition of research?  How did you come up with that definition? Who gave it to you?  What do you do when asked to research? What is/are your research method(s)?

Academic Research: Defined  Inquiry and investigation on a given topic/subject  A research paper may be defined as the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition.  Think of research, and consequently constructing a research paper, as a process (cannot just be completed quickly!)  Research itself, in many disciplines, is ever- changing (does not always remain the same)!

Prior to Researching…  Really LOOK AT and EXAMINE your topic!  Understand what your professor is asking you to do!  Look at the language presented in the topic/prompt: Are there questions listed? What do the questions mean? How can you use them? What key phrases/words does the topic use? Do they sound familiar?

Prior to Researching…(cont’d)  Do some brainstorming and generate some basic ideas about your paper (what you might want to examine when you begin writing).  Develop a thesis/common goal that should be accomplished after you complete your research (and, ultimately, your paper).

Once you understand your topic, have generated ideas, and have a thesis/common goal, then you can begin to… RESEARCH!!!!

How to Research  When beginning the research process, it is usually best to begin with any helpful notes from class discussion and suggestions that you can gather from the topic/prompt itself (remember: key words/phrases!)  Next, go online and begin looking for research on academic databases:  Also, don’t be afraid to actually visit the library and physically pick up a book! It’s not that scary, and the staff is quite friendly and willing to help you with whatever you need!

Credibility of Research  When completing research, remember to be careful in what sources you use. Many sources are not necessarily checked for facts and monitored or policed-some are, but not all! Also, remember to keep track of your sources (what came from where & who said what).  Sites to avoid: Wikipedia (information can be altered and changed by anyone) BookRags & SparkNotes (when trying to complete literary research-will give you basic, plot-based information, but no true analysis and research) If in doubt, ask your professor, peers, etc.

Credibility of Research (cont’d…)  When looking for sources via Google, Bing, or other search engines: Look out for websites that end in.edu or.gov--most reliable and “true” information. If a website ends in.com, look at the information and examine if it seems valid.  If you find a website that might be useful but you are unsure, ask your professor, peer, UWC!

It’s Time to Practice!  Now that we know a bit about finding useful research, let’s do a little “detective” work of our own!

So, I have research…now what??  Once you have compiled your research, you need to go through your source (i.e. book, article, etc.) and see what material might help further your argument. Compare key words from your paper with key words in the source. Look at main ideas in the source and see what, if any, might assist you in your work.  Make sure to ONLY use quotes/ideas from sources that will really help your argument. NO FILLER!!

Remember…  Research may not be necessary for every paper.  If you use research, make sure to stick to your main argument/point and not get off track with the research itself.  Research is used to assist, not stand in for original thought!

Also, keep in mind…  If you still struggle with finding useful research for an assignment, there are always places you can go for help! Professors (they REALLY want you to succeed) Peers (they may be quite helpful) On-campus resources (i.e. the UWC) OWL at Purdue ( /8/ /8/

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University Writing Center (UWC)  Duane Theobald (Manager)    Brandy James (Director) 