The Research Process: Starts Here!
Research & Writing Tips
If you would like help with the research process and/or locating information, please feel free to ASK A LIBRARIAN.
Search Strategies ~ Plagiarism ~ Useful Terms to Know ~ Database Vendor Names for Citations ~ Study Skills
MLA, APA, Chicago: Paper Examples and Writing Tips
MLA, APA, Chicago: Citation Examples
Steps in the Research Process
Before you begin, set deadlines for every step...
1) Define Your Topic & Thesis
Take the time to BRAINSTORM. Jot down a few topics that interest you.
Background Information: Think about what you already know about the topic and/or read what your textbook says about the topic to become more familiar with the topic. Sometimes it is helpful to also read general encyclopedias to learn more about your topic.
After you know a little about your topic, create a thesis statement. A thesis statement includes the purpose of the paper along with explaining the conclusion that you've reached - summarizing the paper!
For More Information:
2) Create an Outline
An outline helps you determine what main ideas or sub-topics to include in your paper and helps you arrange your ideas in a logical order.
For More Information:
- Thesis and Outline Example
- How to Organize a Paper
- One way to create an outline is to "map" out your ideas - this site offers tips on how to do this.
- Simple Sample Paper Outline (includes a link to the final paper)
- More Detailed Sample Paper Outline (includes a link to the final paper)
3) Finding Information: Focus Your Strategies!
It's important to check the ABC's of Information - Analyze and evaluate sources for accuracy, bias and credibility.
Best Bet Starting Points include:
- books
- articles from databases (newspapers, magazines, journals, ebooks):
- the Research Starting Guide lists some of the best databases to start out with
- specific topic guides provide more detail and longer articles
- websites can be useful but evaluate for accuracy!
- current or historical
- popular or scholarly - what the difference?
- pictures
Focusing your search terms helps you research smarter! Create a list of keywords or synonyms - add to this list as you come across similiar terms.
Example: I would like information about the history of animal cloning.
Your keywords would be: history AND animals AND cloning
Create search strategies from your keywords:
- PHRASE: links all words within the phrase
example: "affirmative action" - AND: narrows your search to include BOTH keywords
example: allergies and cats - OR: expands your search to include ANY of the keywords
example: "death penalty" or "capitol punishment" - NOT: narrows your search by excluding one meaning of the word or phrase
example: "Houston Rockets" not NASA - TRUNCATION: expands your search to include all words starting with the same letters
example: educat* will find education, educator, educational, educated...
Ask a Librarian for help if you are not sure how to focus your info needs...
Email, download or print any useful information so that you have a copy to use later.
You may need to narrow or broaden your topic, depending on what you discover while searching. Weed out information not relevant to your focus.
For More Information:
- Basic Boolean Searching Tips & Examples (PowerPoint)
- Advanced Boolean Searching Tips & Examples (PowerPoint)
4) Gathering Information: Creating Notecards
As you gather information, create notecards for each good source of information. Each notecard should contain information you would like to use in your paper. Identify each notecard with a keyword matching a section or sub-topic of your paper.
- Creating Notecards
- Examples of Notecards
- Creating Notecards in Noodletools (video tutorial)
NoodleTools will help you create your notecards!(How to Use NoodleTools to Organize Notecard - PowerPoint)
5) Gathering Information: Don't Plagiarize - Cite it Right!
Make sure to jot down the full citation information for all of the sources that you use. Include:
- Authors Name
- Title of the Article or Chapter
- Title of the Publications (Newspaper, Magazine, Book...)
- Editor(s)
- Volume, Issue Number
- Date of the Publication
- Books: City of Publication and Publisher
Noodle Tools (MLA, APA, Chicago) is a citation creator subscribed to my DCCCD Libraries. Set up a personal account and walk through the steps to creating your Work Cited.
NoodleTool Tutorials:
- Creating Citations
- Using Notecards in NoodleTools
- Finding and Adding Pictures for PowerPoint to NoodleTools
KnightCite is another useful tool for MLA, APA, and Chicago. You can only do one citation at a time and must copy/paste the results before creating another citation.
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6) Putting It All Together: Write a Draft -- Revise -- Rewrite
Let's review what you've done so far and dig into what's involved in putting that information into a rough draft.
Rewrite your notecards into a rough draft of your paper. Make sure to paraphrase and give credit to your sources inside your paper.
You may discover that you have too much or not enough information. Locate additional information to fill in gaps.
For More Information:
- Sample Rough Draft Built from an Outline
- Writing the First Draft
- Guide to Writing a Basic Essay - Writing tips and examples.
- eBook: Elements of Style - Grammar rules used in writing.
- A+ Research & Writing: Step by Step
MLA Sample Papers:
- MLA: How to Do Parenthetical Citations and a Works Cited Page
- Examples of Giving Credit with a Paper
- How to Format for MLA
- MLA Paper Sample (Owl)
- MLA Examples: Works Cited and In-Cite Citations
APA Sample Papers:
- APA Template and Sample Paper (pdf)
- APA Template (doc)
- APA Examples: References and In-Cite Citations
- APA Interactive Tutorial
- Psychology with Style: an APA Writing Guide - listing of the rules and guidelines for numbers, abbreviations, etc.
- APA Research Style Crib Sheets - listing of the rules and guidelines for numbers, abbreviations, etc.
Chicago Sample Paper:
- Chicago Sample Paper (includes examples of citations, tips, etc.)
- Chicago Sample Paper
MLA Examples
- Video: How to Create an MLA Work Cited for Articles
- MLA Examples
- MLA Examples
- MLA Examples for Online Databases. Books, Bible, Websites and More! - Includes examples for specific databases
- MLA Paper and Work Cited Examples
- Citation Examples: Bible
- All Kinds of Examples for MLA!
APA Examples:
- How to Create Your Work Cited in APA
- APA Tutorial
- APA Work Cited Examples
- APA Examples for Various Databases
- Citation Examples**
- APA Work Cited Examples **
- Citation Examples, Including Databases
- APA Electronic Formats
- APA Research Style Crib Sheets
- APA Writer's Guide
- Citation Examples: APA (including databases)**
Chicago Examples:
More Info:
- 5 Steps to Better Research (video)
- Six Steps to Successful Information Searching (video - 12 minutes - transcript)
- IRIS: Research It! Tutorial
- Searchpath: Research Tutorial
- Research 101: Interactive Tutorial to Using the Library
- How to do Research: the 6 Steps of the Research Process
- Doing Research
- Information Competence & Research Process
- Research Guides & Online Research Process E-book
- 7 Steps to Successful Research
- Ten Steps To a Research Paper
- Research Handbook
- Writer's Handbook (APA, MLA, Chicago)
- Guide to writing thesis and purpose statement; writing poetry, literature, and play reviews, research paper tips, sample papers, and bibliographies
Alphabetical Listing of Databases, Vendors, & Generic URL's
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Useful Terms to Know
- Bibliographic Citation: A written reference which describes the source of the information.
- Bibliography: An alphabetical listing of books and/or periodical articles used as sources for your research.
- Catalog: An index of materials located in a library or in a group of libraries. El Centro's catalog lists those materials located in the Dallas County Community College District Libraries.
- Index: A list of authors, titles and/or subjects listed in a book – useful sources of information on a particular topic. This list is usually arranged in alphabetical order.
- Periodical: Any publication that is published at regular intervals, such as journals and magazines.
- Periodical Index: An index to a group of periodicals. It may cover a wide variety of subjects or focus on one subject area. Periodical Indexes lists articles by the article subject.
- Reference Material: Material referred to for information rather than read from cover to cover. Example: dictionaries, encyclopedias
- Research Paper: A paper written as the result of research done on a particular subject. Information is collected, blended and arranged in a logical order.
- Style Manual: A guide written to preparing your research paper bibiliography. These manuals present the correct format for footnotes, bibliographies, quotations and typing. They will also contain information on how to organize and write a research paper.
The best guide to resources is a librarian who can help you in using the catalog, databases and the Web. A librarian can also assist you in selecting materials appropriate for your needs. Please ask at any service desk for information or assistance!
The El Centro College Library does not guarantee the currency or accuracy of these websites. Links to these sites do not represent an endorsement of the site or of information contained within the site.
Reference/Information Desk: 214-860-2174 Circulation:
214-860-2175
West Campus: Reference/Information Desk: 972-391-1433 Circulation: 972-391-1427
BJP: (Room 2300) 214-860-5780
Comments or suggestions are welcome.
©2006 El Centro College Library
Dallas, TX
Last Updated:
March 7, 2010