Basic Steps in the Research Process
The following steps outline a simple and effective strategy for writing a research paper. Depending on your familiarity with the topic and the challenges you encounter along the way, you may need to rearrange these steps.
STEP 1: Identify and Develop Your Topic
Selecting a topic can be the most challenging part of a research assignment. Since this is the very first step in writing a paper, it is vital that it be done correctly. Here are some tips for selecting a topic:
- Select a topic within the parameters of the assignment. Many times your instructor will give you clear guidelines as to what you can and cannot write about. Failure to work within these guidelines may result in your proposed paper topic being deemed unacceptable by your instructor.
- Select a topic of personal interest to you and learn more about it. The research for and writing of a paper will be more enjoyable if you are writing about something that you find interesting.
- Be original. Your instructor reads hundreds of papers every year, and many of them are on the same topics. Stand out from your classmates by selecting an interesting and unique topic.
- Still can't come up with a topic to write about? See your instructor for advice.
Once you have identified your topic, it may help to state it as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the epidemic of childhood obesity in the American population, you might pose the question "What are the causes of childhood obesity in America ?" By posing your subject as a question you can more easily identify the main concepts or keywords to be used in your research.
STEP 2: Do a Preliminary Search for Information
Before beginning your research in earnest, do a preliminary search to determine whether there is enough information out there for you to move forward with your research and to set the context of your research. Look up your keywords in CENTRA (the library's catalog of books), in the appropriate electronic databases, and using Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and handouts. You may find it necessary to adjust the focus of your topic in light of the resources available to you. If your preliminary search results in too much information, you may need to focus your topic more specifically; if you don’t find enough information, you may need to broaden your topic.
STEP 3: Locate Materials
With the direction of your research now clear to you, you can begin locating material on your topic. There are a number of places you can look for information:
If you are looking for books, do a Subject search in the CENTRA catalog. A broader Keyword search can be done if the Subject search doesn't yield enough information.
Use the library's electronic databases to find journal articles. Choose the databases best suited to your particular topic; use our Ask A Librarian service if you need help determining which database best meets your needs. Many of the articles in the databases are available in full-text format.
Use search engines and subject directories (such as the Librarian's Internet Index) to locate materials on the Internet. Check the Find Resources by Subject section of our web site for helpful subject links.
STEP 4: Evaluate Your Sources
See the CARS Checklist for Information Quality and How to Evaluate Web Sites for Quality for tips on evaluating the authority and quality of the information you have located. Your instructor expects that you will provide credible, truthful, and reliable information and you have every right to expect that the sources you use are providing the same. This step is especially important when using Internet resources, many of which are known to be less than reliable.
STEP 5: Make Notes
Consult the resources you have chosen and note the information that will be useful in your paper. Be sure to document all the sources you consult, even if you there is a chance you may not use that particular source. The author, title, publisher, date of publication, URL, and other information will be needed later when creating a bibliography.
STEP 6: Write Your Paper
Begin by organizing the information you have collected. The next step is the rough draft, wherein you get your ideas on paper in an unfinished fashion. This step will help you organize your thoughts and determine the form your final paper will take. After this, you will revise the draft as many times as you think necessary to create a final product to submit to your instructor.
If you need help with writing your paper, citing your sources, or editing your final edition, you can contact the CMU Writing Center.
STEP 7: Cite Your Sources Properly
Give credit where credit is due: cite your sources.
Citing or documenting the sources used in your research serves two purposes: it gives proper credit to the authors of the materials used, and it allows those who are reading your work to duplicate your research and locate the sources that you have listed as references.
Failure to cite your sources properly is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a violation of CMU’s Policy on Academic Integrity, and being found guilty of plagiarism by your instructor could result in disciplinary action by the University.
STEP 8: Proofread
The final step in the process is to proofread the paper you have created. Read through the text and check for any errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Make sure the sources you used are cited properly. Make sure the message that you want to get across to the reader has been thoroughly stated.
