Today's Hours
Before choosing a topic for your research, be sure you understand the assignment. Look over any information that your professor gave you and ask for clarification if you are unsure about what is expected of you. Also choose a topic that interests you.
Research topics work well when they are posed as a question. Good rule of thumb is that the shorter the paper, the more narrow the topic or question should be.
Example: If you are interested in global warming - that's way too broad for even a 15-20 page paper! You will need to narrow it down depending on the length of your paper. For an 8-10 page paper, a more manageable topic would be "What effect has global warming had on polar bears in the Arctic Circle and their ability to hunt for prey?" Here we have narrowed our topic down by population (polar bears) geography (Arctic Circle) and subcategory (hunting and prey).
Keep in mind that the research process is not linear, but cyclical - you may have to come back and "tweek" your research question as you start learning more about your topic.
NSCU Libraries. "Picking Your Topic Is Research." YouTube. 1 May 2014. Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA US license.
NCSU Libraries. "Tips & Tricks: Phrase Searching." YouTube. 12 Mar 2015. Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA US license.
In today's modern world of rapid technological advancement, we are constantly bombarded with more information than we can consume. Yet, not all information is good information. So, how does one decipher what exactly is good information?
First and foremost, it is important to know if the source is primary or secondary.
Primary sources are direct, firsthand accounts about a topic of interest, be it a person, work of art, event, or even an object. Primary sources generally are created at the same time as the topic of interest. An example of primary sources are diaries or photographs, monographs, and newspapers.
Secondary sources refer to primary sources either by describing, discussing, examining, investigating, reviewing, analyzing, evaluating, or critiquing them. An example of secondary sources are journal and magazine articles about your subject of interest, biographies, literary critiques, or reviews.
Borrowed from Huskins Library at Mitchell Community College.
NCSU Libraries. Evaluating Sources for Credibility. YouTube. 9 June 2015. Creative Commons 3.0 BY-NC-SA US license.
The Key Components of Scholarly Research Articles
I. Abstract: A brief summary of the article’s contents.
II. Introduction: Introduces the article’s topic (including the author’s research questions, hypotheses, or claims) and details how the research contributes to existing knowledge or fills in gaps in knowledge. Answers the question: What is this research about?
III. Literature Review: A precise overview of existing literature that relates to the topic and that places the new research into context. Can be included in the introduction or present as a separate section. Answers the question: Why was this research conducted?
IV. Methods: A descriptive outline of the procedures taken to conduct the research and a summary of the information collected as a result of those procedures. Answers the question: How was this research done?
V. Results: A report on the data and the kind of analysis that was used to decipher the data. Answers the question: What was the outcome of this research?
VI. Discussion: An interpretation of the significance of the results as they relate to the selected research topic including how they answer the author’s research questions and/or if they support the author’s hypotheses or claims. The researcher typically will emphasize the implications of the results for their discipline. Answers the question: Why are these outcomes important?
VII. Conclusion: The final section that explains how the research fits into the larger context of the discipline, the importance of the research, and offers ideas for additional research on their topic. Answers the question: Why should others in this field care about this research?
VIII. References: A list of all literature considered by the author that influenced their research. Provides a level of authority and credibility to the author’s claims.
Borrowed from Huskins Library at Mitchell Community College.