collage of photos showing the center facilities

Conducting Research

Also see: IRB Applications for information about conducting ethical research with human participants and completing an IRB application.

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 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.

Interactive Exercises (the companion web site for Mike Palmquist’s The Bedford Researcher)
Interactive exercises that walk the writer through the entire research paper writing process from analyzing the assignment to integrating quotations.

Research Steps (Cornell Univ. Library)
“These steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for your research paper and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps.”

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.”

FINDING SOURCES

Articles and Databases at Sprague Library (Montclair State University Sprague Library)
A direct link to the databases available at Montclair State. You will need to use your Net ID to access them.

Finding Sources (SUNY Empire State College)
An overview of the different resources you can use to conduct research effectively.

Primary Research (Purdue OWL)
Explains what primary research is and provides some examples.

Research Guides at Sprague Library (Montclair State University Sprague Library)
Library research guides that are divided by subject and show available resources.

Research: Where to Begin (Purdue OWL)
“We live in an age overflowing with sources of information. With so many information sources at our fingertips, knowing where to start, sorting through it all and finding what we want can be overwhelming! This handout provides answers to the following research-related questions: Where do I begin? Where should I look for information? What types of sources are available?”

Types of Sources (Purdue OWL)
Lists different types of print sources and internet sources where you can find information.

CREATING AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Annotated Bibliographies – Purdue (Purdue OWL)
“This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA and CMS.”

Annotated Bibliographies – UNC (UNC Chapel Hill, The Writing Center)
“This handout will explain why annotated bibliographies are useful for researchers, provide an explanation of what constitutes an annotation, describe various types of annotations and styles for writing them, and offer multiple examples of annotated bibliographies in the MLA, APA and CBE/CSE styles of citation.”

Annotated Bibliography Samples (Purdue OWL)
Here you’ll find sample annotated bibliography entries cited in MLA, APA and Chicago styles.

How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography (Cornell Univ. Library)
Explains what an annotated bibliography is, how it differs from an abstract, and how to create an annotated bibliography. It also includes a sample entry for a journal article, cited in both APA and MLA styles.

Write an Annotated Bibliography (UC Santa Cruz, University Library)
Explains the definition, content, and purpose of an annotated bibliography.

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 it is best to use each technique in your writing.

Integrating Sources (Writing@CSU)
A writing guide on how to incorporate outside sources.

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 without explaining its purpose.

Quotations (UNC Chapel Hill, The 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.”

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 (Cornell Univ. Library)
“Ten things to look for when you evaluate an information source.”

Evaluating Sources: Introduction (Purdue OWL)
“Evaluating sources of information is an important step in any research activity. This section provides information on evaluating bibliographic citations, aspects of evaluation, reading evaluation, print vs. Internet sources, and evaluating Internet sources.”

Evaluating Sources: Overview (Purdue OWL)
“After you have asked yourself some questions about the source and determined that it’s worth your time to find and read that source, you can evaluate the material in the source as you read through it.” This site contains useful steps and questions you can ask yourself when evaluating sources.