Conducting Research

OVERVIEW

Once you have an idea of what you want to write about, it's time to start researching the topic. The best place to begin your research is by using the resources available to you through the Sprague Library. In addition to the resources and assistance at Sprague Library, you may find the following online resources helpful as you conduct research and incorporate it into your writing.

Also see: Citing Sources for discipline-specific citation styles and web-based citation tools | Academic Integrity for guidelines to help you use research responsibly.

	Glossary of Research Terms (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)
	Interactive Exercises (the companion web site for Mike Palmquist's The Bedford Researcher) Interactive exercises that walk the writing through the entire research paper writing process from analyzing the assignment to integrating quotations.
	Research Exercises (companion web site for Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference) The companion web site for Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference offers research exercises in four areas: General research (these questions help you think about narrowing your topic), MLA Style, APA Style, and CMS (Chicago Manual of Style). Site Access: To access these exercises, you need to register with the site. Registration is fast and simple.
	Research and Documentation Online(companion web site for Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference) Online guides for finding and documenting sources in the Humanities, Social Sciences, History, and Sciences. There is also information on evaluating sources, a list of style manuals, and a glossary of research terms.
	Researching in History (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)
	Researching in the Humanities (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)
	Researching in the Sciences (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)
	Researching in the Social Sciences (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)
	The Seven Steps of the Research Process (Cornell Univ. Library)
	Writing a Research Paper (Purdue OWL) "This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.”

^ top

FINDING SOURCES

	Finding sources for research in the Humanities, Social Sciences, History, and Sciences(Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online ) See the "Finding Sources" link for each of these categories
	Finding Sources (Empire State College)
	Guide to Electronic Sources (MSU Sprague Library)
	Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers at Sprague (MSU Sprague Library)
	Primary Research (Purdue OWL)
	Research: Where Do I Begin? (Purdue OWL)
	Types of Sources (Pudue OWL)

^ top

CREATING AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

	Annotated Bibliography (Purdue OWL) "This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS."
	How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography (Cornell University Library)
	Write an Annotated Bibliography (UC Santa Cruz)

^ top

TAKING NOTES (QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, SUMMARIZING)

When should you use a quote from your research? When should you paraphrase? When should you summarize? And what is the difference between these different ways of incorporating research into your writing?

The resources on this page will help you to understand the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, and decide when best to use each technique in your writing.

	How to Work with Information from Sources (The Bedford Research Room) A tutorial on how to use direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.
	Including Outside Sources (Writing@CSU) A writing guide on how to incorporate outside sources. This guide has three sections: Quoting Source Material, Paraphrasing Source Material and Summarizing Source Material.
	Integrating Sources in MLA Style (Professor David Hennessy, Broward College) Posted on YouTube: July 23, 2008 | length 6:48 A clear and informative video of a student explaining how she learned to integrate sources into her writing rather than dropping in a quotation and expecting it to explain its purpose.
	Quotations (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center) "Used effectively, quotations can provide important pieces of evidence and lend fresh voices and perspectives to your narrative. Used ineffectively, however, quotations clutter your text and interrupt the flow of your argument. This handout will help you decide when and how to quote like a pro."
	Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing (Purdue OWL) "This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills."
	Research Tutorials (the companion web site for Mike Palmquist's The Bedford Researcher) Interactive tutorials on gathering and integrating research into your writing. There are exercises on paraphrasing, integrating quotations, and even revising source information in the revision and editing process. Site Access: To access these exercises, you need to register with the site. Registration is fast and simple.
	Summarizing and Paraphrasing Sources (Hacker A Writer's Reference Companion Website) Click on "Research Exercises"--requires registration to access.

^ top

EVALUATING SOURCES

All sources are not equal. It is essential that you know how to evaluate the sources you find to ensure that they are accurate, reliable, and timely.

	Critically Analyzing Information Sources (Purdue OWL)
	Evaluation During Reading (Purdue OWL)
	Evaluating Sources: Overview (Purdue OWL)
	Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources (Purdue OWL)
	Tips for Evaluating Sources (Hacker and Fister Research and Documentation Online)

^ top