Chris Venezia

 Define the problem

◦ Where to start
 What questions to ask
 What terms to research

 Finding good sources

◦ Source evaluation
 What to do when you find good information
◦ Paraphrasing
◦ Citing sources
 How to apply/ organize your research
 Before any research can be conducted one must fully
understand the topic being researched. Defining the problem is
the first step toward understanding your research topic. When
defining the problem one must ask, what exactly needs to be
done to solve the problem? This includes knowing where to
start, and what questions to ask or terms to research.
 Knowing where to start can sometimes be overwhelming due
to the myriad of sources and information at our fingertips.
 Although most people will go directly to the internet to
conduct their research it is best to first collect your own
information from the real world. This is called primary
research, primary research includes surveys, interviews, and
observations.
 After conducting primary research you should conduct
secondary research. This includes any information that you
have not collected yourself ie. internet searches or books.
Source: Owl Perdue, Conducting Research
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/8/
An Interview
 Interviews are one on one question and
answer sessions. Interviews will provide a lot
of information from a small number of
people and are useful when you want to get
an expert or knowledgeable opinion on a
subject.
 When conducting an interview there are two
types of questions you could ask, fact based
or opinion based questions. Ask fact based
questions first and opinion based questions
later.
 Don’t rely on your memory to recall the
answers to the questions write down all
questions and answers.
Source: Management Help, General guidelines for
conducting research interviews
http://managementhelp.org/businessresearch/intervie
ws.htm
Internet Research
 When conducting internet research
search key terms relevant to the topic
you are researching.
 Use major search engines such as
Google.
 Use alternate words or key phrases to
find additional sources. Ex. If I'm
researching how to conduct research I
might use perform in place of conduct.
 Make sure that you find and cross
reference good sources. (next slide)
Source: Wiki How, How to conduct internet
research http://www.wikihow.com/Do-
Internet-Research
 Avoid Wikipedia or other digital encyclopedias that allow multiple users to
edit. Wikipedia is a great jumping-off point in terms of figuring out what to
search for, but double-check all of the facts by using credible sources of
information.
 Sources such as .edu’s, databases, and .gov’s are great sources that are
reliable and have a lot of information.
 Make sure your source has a non bias view on the topic and make sure the author or
publisher doesn't endorse political or religious views that could affect objectivity.
 When evaluating a source you should evaluate the qualifications of the author, and
the sponsor or publisher.
Source: Elite editing, How to find creditable sources for your research paper
Reliable Source Unreliable Source

Perdue Owl is a credible publisher and Life hacker is not a credible publisher and
the web address ends in a .edu therefore the author has no qualifications therefore
this is a reliable source. this source is not reliable.
 What is Paraphrasing?
◦ Your own rendition of information and ideas that were written
by someone else.
 Steps for effective paraphrasing:
◦ Reread the original passage until you understand its full
meaning.
◦ Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note
card.
◦ Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your
version accurately expresses all the essential information in a
new form.
◦ Source: Owl Perdue, Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/1
Original Passage
 Students frequently overuse direct
quotation in taking notes, and as a
result they overuse quotations in
the final [research] paper.
Probably only about 10% of your
final manuscript should appear as
directly quoted matter. Therefore,
you should strive to limit the
amount of exact transcribing of
source materials while taking
notes.
Lester, James D. Writing
Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976):
46-47.
Paraphrase
 In research papers students often
quote excessively, failing to keep
quoted material down to a
desirable level. Since the problem
usually originates during note
taking, it is essential to minimize
the material recorded exactly
(Lester 46-47).
 The most important step when researching is to cite all information that
isn't your own. This includes direct quotes as well as paraphrasing.
 Depending on the purpose of your research different citation formats will
be used. This may include MLA or APA.
 No matter the format the purpose of a citation is so that the reader can
reference the articles you have used. In order for them to be able to do that
the reader must have enough information such as the title and author to be
able to easily find it. For this class that is the only requirement for citations.
 Make sure to avoid lengthy urls especially if your project isn't electronic.
 Make sure you associate which information comes from which source. This
can be done by parenthetical citations or simply putting the citation next to
the information.
 When conducting research it is important to organize your
notes into sections and subsections by topic.
 One way of doing this is to write each individual note on an
index card and sort them into piles by topic. Then assign a
letter to each section and a number to each subsection in that
section. Then write the corresponding letter and number on
each index card. Each of these piles will become a paragraph
or chapter in your final project.
 Other methods of organization include writhing an outline
once all research has been conducted
Source: About.com, Homework/Study Tips, Overwhelmed by Research
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/researchandreference/a/overwhelmed.htm
 Lastly you need to apply your research. Make sure you
use all of your notes you've taken during research in
your project. Research isn't helpful unless you use it! If
you feel that you need more information in a section
feel free to conduct more research specific to that
section.