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:
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:
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
MLA Sample Papers:
APA Sample Papers:
Chicago Sample Paper:
MLA Examples
APA Examples:
Chicago Examples:
More Info:
Alphabetical Listing of Databases, Vendors, & Generic URL's
- Academic Search Complete -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- African American Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- African American Studies Center -
- Oxford University Press - http://www.oed.com/
- Agricola -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Alt. Health Watch -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- American Drama, 1714-1915 -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- American History Online -
- Facts on File - http://www.fofweb.com/
- American Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Applied Science & Technology Full Text -
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Art Index Full Text -
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Art Museum Image Gallery -
- Wilson -http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Biography Reference Bank -
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Book Review Digest Plus -
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Business Source Complete -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Canadian Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- CINAHL -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- College Source Online -
- Career Guidance - http://www.collegesource.com/
- Columbia Granger's World of Poetry Online -
- Columbia University Press - http://www.columbiagrangers.org/
- Computer Source -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Consumer Health Complete -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Contemporary Authors (Literature Resource Center) -
- Gale - http://galegroup.com/
- Contemporary LIterary Criticism (Literature Resource Center) -
- Gale - http://galegroup.com/
- CQ Researcher Online -
- Congressional Quarterly - http://library.cqpress.com/
- CQ Weekly Online -
- Congressional Quarterly - http://library.cqpress.com/
- Current Issues -
- Wilson -http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Daily Life Online -
- Greenwood - http://dailylife.greenwood.com/
- Dallas Morning News -
- Newsbank - http://infoweb.newsbank.com/
- Dallas Morning News Historical -
- Newsbank - http://infoweb.newsbank.com/
- Dictionary of Literary Biography (Literature Resource Center) -
- Gale - http://galegroup.com/
- Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- EBSCO Animals -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Economia y Negocios -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- 18th Century Fiction, 1789-1985 -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- eLibrary -
- ProQuest - http://www.elibrary.bigchalk.com/
- Encyclopedia Britannica -
- Encyclopedia Britannica - http://search.eb.com/
- Encyclopedia of Religion -
- Gale - http://galegroup.com/
- English Drama -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- English Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- ERIC -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- ERIC (free) -
- ERIC - http://www.eric.ed.gov
- Faber Poetry Library -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Facts.com (Today's World News Digest, Today's Science on File, Issues & Controversies on File)-
- Facts on File - http://www.fofweb.com/
- FactSearch -
- OCLC - http://www.oclc.org/
- Ferguson's Career Guidance Center -
- Ferguson's Career Guidance Center Online - http://0-www.fofweb.com.library.dcccd.edu/
- First Search -
- OCLC - http://firstsearch.oclc.org/
- Fuente Academica -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Funk & Wagnall's New Encyclopedia
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- General Science Full Text -
- Wilson -http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Handbook of Texas -
- Texas State Historical Association - http://www.tsha.utexas.edu
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- Health and Wellness Resource Center -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- Health Reference Center -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- Health Source: Consumer -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Health Source - Nursing/Academic -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Heritage Quest Online -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Hoover's Online -
- Hoover's - http://www.hoovers.com/
- Humanities Full Text -
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Legal Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Lexis Nexis -
- Lexis Nexis -http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe
- Literary Reference Center -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Literature Online -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Literature Resource Center -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- MAS -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- MasterFile Premier -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- MedicLatina -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary -
- Merriam Webster - http://www.merriamwebster.com/
- Middle Search Plus -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Military and Government Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Natural & Alternative Treatments -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Naxos Music Library -
- Naxos - http://naxosmusiclibrary.com/
- netLibrary -
- netLibrary - http://www.netlibrary.com/
- New York Times -
- netLibrary - http://www.netlibrary.com/
- New Dictionary of the History of Ideas -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- New York Times Historical -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Newspaper Source -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- 19th Century Fiction -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Occupational Outlook Handbook -
- U.S. Government - http://stats.bls.gov/oco/
- Opposing Viewpoints -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- Oxford African American Studies Center -
- Oxford University Press - http://www.oed.com/
- Oxford Art -
- Oxford University Press - http://www.oed.com/
- Oxford Music -
- Oxford University Press - http://www.oed.com/
- Primary Search -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Professional Development Center -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- PubMed -
- National Library of Medicine - http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov
- Reader's Guide
-
- Wilson - http://hwwilsonweb.com/
- Regional Business News -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Religion & Phhilosophy -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Science & Technology Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Scribner Writers -
- Gale - http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
- Searchasaurus -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- SIRS Knowledge Source -
- SIRS - http://sks.sirs.com/
- Stat!Ref -
- STATRef - http://online.statref.com/
- Texas Digital Sanborn Maps -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Texas Reference Center -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Thomas Register of Manufacturers -
- Thomas Register - http://www.thomasnet.com/
- TOPICSearch -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Twayne's Author Series -
- Gale - http://galegroup.com/
- 20th Century African American Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- 20th Century English Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- 20th Century American Poetry -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Vocational & Career Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
- Wall Street Journal -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary -
- ProQuest - http://proquest.umi.com/
- World History Collection -
- EBSCOhost - http://search.ebscohost.com/
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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.
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©2006 El Centro College Library
Dallas, TX
Last Updated:
March 7, 2010