14: The Research Process
- Page ID
- 380560
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Outcomes
- Understand a research paper assignment prompt
- Choose, evaluate, and integrate sources from a wide variety of publications including academic journals
- Narrow a research topic.
- Use correct MLA format for essays and in-text citations.
- 14.1: The Ultimate Tool for Thinking and Sharing Our Thoughts
- This page discusses the importance of research papers in college education, emphasizing their role in developing informed perspectives and fostering academic discourse. Unlike previous assignments, they allow freedom in topic and source selection, empowering students to build expertise, arguments, and manage sources. Key skills highlighted include assessing source credibility and organizing ideas effectively. Future chapters will provide guidance on source selection and structuring papers.
- 14.2: What’s Different about Academic Research?
- This page discusses the nature of academic research, comparing it to personal research like buying a computer. It highlights the role of all academic community members in conducting research to substantiate their ideas with credible evidence.
- 14.3: Approaching a Research Paper Assignment
- This page emphasizes the importance of thoroughly analyzing the essay prompt before beginning a research paper. Key aspects include understanding sources, length, and structure requirements. Recommended actions are identifying action verbs, mapping tasks, and seeking clarification from the instructor. A solid grasp of the prompt is essential for an effective research and writing process. Chapter 6 will provide further insights into selecting authoritative sources.
- 14.4: Choosing a Focused Topic
- This page outlines the steps for selecting a focused research topic, beginning with a general interest and progressively narrowing it down to specific subtopics like solar energy. It underscores the significance of formulating a guiding research question and the need for adaptability as new insights emerge. Additionally, a practical exercise is provided to assist readers in refining their topics through initial research on Wikipedia.
- 14.5: Find the Conversation That Interests You
- This page emphasizes the importance of engaging with diverse viewpoints on a research topic rather than just finding supportive sources. It advocates for synthesizing findings to strengthen arguments, identifying common ground or disputes, and addressing unresolved questions.
- 14.6: Types of Sources
- This page outlines the legitimacy and ranking of research sources, emphasizing the need for credible references. It categorizes sources into four tiers, with peer-reviewed publications as the most reliable (Tier 1) and less credible options like Wikipedia as the least reliable (Tier 4). The page provides guidance on locating these sources and stresses evaluating their credibility and limitations to enhance research practices.
- 14.7: Sources that are Both Scholarly and Non-Scholarly?
- This page outlines the differences and similarities between scholarly and non-scholarly sources, highlighting that some publications, such as trade journals, may not fit neatly into one category. Scholarly sources are typically more credible, while popular sources can still be useful in research. The page stresses the importance of recognizing these distinctions for effective research writing and encourages students to identify relevant sources for their projects.
- 14.8: Getting Familiar with Academic Journal Articles
- This page covers Tier 1 sources, specifically academic articles that are peer-reviewed to ensure quality in scholarly discussions. It explains the typical structure of these articles, including sections like the abstract and conclusion, and emphasizes the significance of peer-reviewed journals in facilitating research and knowledge exchange. Additionally, it provides strategies for effectively finding, reading, and using scholarly articles, stressing their advantages over non-scholarly sources.
- 14.9: Searching Databases of Academic Journal Articles
- This page emphasizes the value of campus library databases for academic research, recommending attendance at workshops and librarian consultations for resource optimization. It introduces Google Scholar as a useful search tool, providing strategies for effective searches, such as choosing specific keywords and using the "cited by" feature. The page also includes a practice exercise to compare search engine outputs for research topics.
- 14.10: Strategies for Each Phase of the Research Process
- This page emphasizes the creative and iterative nature of finding quality research sources, starting with broad resources and narrowing down to Tier 1 sources that support a thesis. It advises browsing top journals for topic inspiration and employing effective keyword strategies. Engaging with librarians is suggested for expanding research options.
- 14.11: Evaluating the Quality and Credibility of Your Research
- This page emphasizes the importance of evaluating the quality and credibility of research evidence rather than just finding it. It distinguishes between primary and secondary sources and underscores the need for critical assessment of scholarly versus popular materials. Factors for credibility assessment include the author's qualifications, motivations, publication source, and date.
- 14.12: Disinformation
- This page addresses the difficulties in identifying truth amid widespread misinformation in media. It notes that both students and experts face challenges in discerning credible sources, often influenced by disinformation that plays on emotions. The trend of students shifting from skepticism to cynicism is alarming, as they tend to rely on dubious online sources for verification.
- 14.13: Fact-Checking
- This page discusses strategies for fact-checking and verifying sources to combat misinformation and enhance information hygiene. It introduces the SIFT method for evaluating content reliability and highlights the use of Wikipedia, along with techniques for validating images and memes through reverse image searches.
- 14.14: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism
- This page covers essential skills for quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing research to enhance writing quality and prevent plagiarism. It highlights the need for practice and outlines effective strategies for summarization, proper use of quotations, and guidelines to avoid plagiarism. The chapter aims to equip students with practical exercises to improve their research writing and encourages ongoing development in their research activities.
- 14.15: Creating an Annotated Bibliography
- This page covers the purpose and structure of an annotated bibliography, essential for evaluating and citing research sources. It outlines key components such as citation, summary, evaluation, and connection to essays while stressing the importance of concise, relevant summaries and the need for paraphrasing. It also includes a template for creating an annotated bibliography and a practice exercise for applying these concepts using a specific source.
- 14.16: MLA Essay Format
- This page emphasizes the significance of adhering to MLA formatting in academic writing to boost credibility. It details essential elements such as font type, line spacing, margins, paragraph indentation, and first-page structure. Additionally, it provides guidelines for headers, page numbers, and title formatting, recommending the use of templates in word processing software and suggesting the MLA website for further resources and examples.
- 14.17: MLA In-Text Citations
- This page emphasizes the importance of proper citation in college papers using MLA format. It details how to distinguish the writer's ideas from sources and provides guidelines for in-text citations, including necessary information such as the author's last name and page number. The page also stresses matching in-text citations with the Works Cited page to prevent plagiarism.
- 14.18: MLA Works Cited Pages
- This page comprehensively covers MLA citation style, emphasizing the importance of a "Works Cited" list that aligns with in-text citations. It details formatting for various sources, including books, articles, multimedia, and more, highlighting essential components like author, title, and publication information. Specific guidelines for different types of works are provided, along with examples for clarity.
