When beginning your research assignment, there are basic steps that are required to begin a successful search. In the first stage of your research, you should know the assignment and details as in: what is the expected requirements and guidelines of my research? Also, know the style and format that your professor or audience expects or requires. Take time to evaluate a plan. After your evaluation process, find a topic. This topic should be something you are familiar with but also something you could learn more about.
While researching, you will find the need to have facts that support your argument or topic. Therefore, you need online and/ or print sources. The common problem in researching, is facts from online not being accurate. Make sure the websites you find online are credible by reviewing who published or produced the source, who wrote the work, and also consider your audience. During research allocate all resources, such as: learning how to navigate the library catalog, locate research guides, and using online sources intelligently. Don't be afraid to ask questions! If you can find someone who is knowledgeable or specializes in your field of study. . . use them. If it's personal, use your experience. If you can become involve in field work, use your observations to expand your horizon.
Annotate your sources by examining all aspects of their work. Pay attention to how your sources have evolved by observing their beginning thesis, trial and errors, and closing argument. Remember to record your personal feelings from beginning to end, to determine how your opinions have changed from the beginning to end of your research.
Once you have located your sources, summarize them. After you are complete summarizing your sources, make sure that this leads to paraphrasing your sources. Although, summarizing and paraphrasing are similar, they differ from one another because paraphrasing helps you keep track on reasoning and supporting evidence to help conclude.
Last but not least integrate your sources into your paper and don't forget to create a work cited page to demonstrate where your sources came from.
A good concise guide to starting the research paper! And one point you highlight is especially important for argument research: your opinion is likely to start waffling as you do your research. This happened to me when I researched evolution in my freshman year. I realized I didn't really know anything about it, and much to my disgruntlement and confusion, it made lots of sense to me. It isn't easy when you've planned a paper to defend one view and end up shifting to the other side. But talk about an amazing developmental experience! Be open to the possibilities.
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