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#2/Oct
18
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Homework
assignment:
- Select
fun topic (for those working on ILP you can focus
on your ILP or Thesis topic).
- Research
online and write a 3-5 page research paper in APA
format
- Submit
a draft/outline on November 1
- Prepare
to present this information in a final paper and a
powerpoint presentation on November 15
Information
Research Process Overview
Step One: Identify and Develop your Topic
Determine your information needs:
- The
length of the paper
- The
types of resources
- Primary
vs. secondary
- Historical
vs. current
- Scholarly
vs. popular
- Time
limitations (when is it due?)
- Do
some preliminary browsing on the Internet
- Think
about concepts and/or words (keywords) related to
your topic
Step
Two : Find Background Information
- Use
Reference Materials - online
-
Encyclopedias (General and Specific)
- Dictionaries
(General and Specific)
- Almanacs
- Biographical
Sources
- Locate
web sites
- Find
and read short articles
- Find
more keywords related to your topic
Step Three : Refine your topic, if necessary
- If
you did not find enough information on your topic,
you will need to broaden it.
- If
you found too much information, you may have to narrow
your topic.
Step Four : Find Research Materials, Select Sources
- Use
Online Library to find sources
- Use
Indexes and Online Databases to find ARTICLES
- Use
Search Engines and Directories to find WEB PAGES
- Use
appropriate searching techniques (Boolean commands,
truncations, etc.)
Step Five : Evaluate and Select Research Materials
Use the Five Criteria to Evaluate Sources:
- Authority
- Accuracy
- Objectivity
- Currency
- Coverage
Step Six : Write the paper and cite your sources
- Cite
your sources to avoid plagiarism
- Use
APA Style Guide to follow a specific citation style
(MLA, APA, Chicago, Turbian)
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