By now, you’ve chosen your topic, completed your outline and you’re ready to start researching.
But wait. Where do you begin? Most students go directly to Google, and that’s fine. It’s even okay to go to Wikipedia, though you never want to cite it as a main source of information. Rather, articles from the online encyclopedia and sources found through Google should be used as jumping off points. Look at what your search results cite, then go to the library or library’s website and find those books or articles yourself.
Amount of Research
The amount of research you have to do depends on your topic, the availability of resources and the nature of your assignment. If you’re having a hard time finding enough resources to support your hypothesis, consider using articles or books that refute your claim. Taking the time to gain a “bigger picture” understanding of your topic may result in a well-rounded paper.
If your essay assignment asks for an analysis of a reading, chances are it simply wants your opinion, and you won’t have to do much research (but you should do the reading). If you’re comparing the daily lives of commoners in 1066 with those of the middle class today, or looking at how the media affects the public’s perception of a crime, you’ll want to give yourself time to find books and articles on the subject and make notes and graphs all while leaving yourself time to write your essay or restart your research if you run into a wall.
For most essay assignments, your professors will tell you the minimum number of sources you need to cite. It’s a good rule to choose scholarly, peer-reviewed materials; these resources have been vetted for the quality of their information by other practitioners in the writer’s field.
Do not leave research until the last minute. Seriously, your professors will be able to tell if you started looking up your citations a day or two before your assignment was due, and no one’s first draft is good. Ever. Really. Give yourself plenty of time to find and understand your resources and edit your paper. It will show in your final product.
Databases
Repeat after me: The library is my friend.
Some of you may wonder why you need to use your school’s library while conducting your research. Isn’t everything on the internet? Can’t I just use Google?
The short answer to these two questions: No. Not every resource has been digitized, and some that are available in an electronic format require a subscription to the scholarly journal. You don’t want to spend money just to get to the information in one online article.
Repeat after me: The library is my friend.
Your library has subscriptions to many of the most-used academic databases and scholarly journals. Some databases are generalized, offering a wide-variety of articles for any subject, while others focus on specific topics. Searching for resources using one of the many databases hosted by your school gives you free access to full articles. You can download many in PDF format, which can be read on your computer, phone or e-reader; or you can print the articles if you prefer a hard copy.
Some of the most common academic databases include:
JSTOR
LexisNexis
Project Muse
Academic Search Complete
WorldCat
WorldCat is one of the most useful databases you have access to. If there is a book that you need for your essay, that your school doesn’t have on its shelves, you can use WorldCat to receive the item through interlibrary loan, or ILL. This basically means that you have access to nearly any book in the world, as long as it’s coming from a library that’s partnered with your school’s.
If you need help navigating the databases or figuring out ILL, the reference librarians are there to help. Use them. Librarians were the original Google. They know how to help you find the sources you need to cover your topic.
Quality vs. Quantity
More does not always equal better. As previously stated, you’re often given a minimum number of resources that you need to cite for your essays. You are definitely free to use more than what’s asked for, but you want to make sure the resources you choose are quality. You want your argument to be supported by citations that add value, that positively enhance your paper.
You don’t want your essay to sound like you watched the movie instead of reading the book.
Depending on the nature of your assignment and what your professor wants you to focus on, not every article or book needs to be peer-reviewed. In the scholarly publishing world, peer-review is often an important step to printing, but there are some books that are authoritative that haven’t been vetted by others. Quality in these cases is very much a judgement call on your part.
A few things to ask about your sources:
Does the author cite their sources?
Can you find/access the sources that are cited?
Does the author stay on topic, or do they start talking about something completely unrelated?
Have others cited the book/article in their work?
Does it support or refute the point you’re trying to make?
Can you use it as a counterpoint to your argument?
Did you access the resource from a trusted website?
e.g. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, a professional organization
When was it written?*
Time Matters
*Check the date of your sources!
This is especially important for topics in math and the sciences, hard and social. Things are changing all the time. Advancements are made, new studies are conducted and standards change. You need to be sure the information you present in your essay is the most up-to-date, so newer publications are often more important than the older ones. Though, you shouldn’t discount them entirely; they are handy for background and timeline information.
With English and history topics, finding and using older resources is more likely to happen. In fact, for many history assignments, you are required to find primary sources. A primary source is a book, essay or object written or created during the time period you’re focused on. They give a first-hand account of the world at the time.
Scavenger Hunt
It seems odd, but a large part of researching is picking and choosing and seeing what sources other people have cited on the topic. When you find an article or a book that helps you with your essay, check their works cited or bibliography pages. Chances are you’ll find something else to incorporate into your assignment, whether it supports or counters your claim.
Keep track of every source you look at, even if you don’t intend to use it. Maintaining a running bibliography/works cited page makes it easier to go back to a source you may have decided against. It also saves time once you get to the part of your essay where you have to compile every article and book you cited or paraphrased.
Make a note of:
Title
Author(s)
Date accessed (if accessed online)
Publication date
Publisher
Page numbers of where quotes are found
You don’t have to put these in your final citation format just yet, but make sure you have all of the information you need so you aren’t suspected of plagiarism.
Next Steps
Okay! Research is gathered and out of the way, but you still can’t start writing yet!
Check back here for Step 3: Pre-Writing Prep
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