The Research Process

The Research Process Simple Steps for Success

Developing a Plan Create an Outline • Present Thesis • Define unclear terms from thesis • Raise three supporting points for thesis • Consider data to be used for support • Determine the types of examples you might use • Consider possible opposition to thesis

Creating a Search Strategy Questions to answer: • What types of sources will I consult? • In what order should I consult them? • Reference materials (encyclopedias, almanacs, dictionaries) • Books • Periodicals (newspapers, journals, magazines) • Vertical Files (pamphlets, unpublished materials) • Sources beyond the library: Internet

Using Google Go to www.google.com Type in a topic within the search box, for example, “The Minuteman Project.”

Finding Websites with Google

Finding News on Google Click on “News” at top of screen

Assessing Internet Sources • Who is the author? An expert? A Layman? • Is the information based on facts or opinions? • Is the topic regarding ethical or moral issues? • Is the author trying to sell something other than information? • Can I find at least two other corroborating articles or pieces of information?

Maintaining a Working Bibliography • Create a bibliographic 3X5 notecard for each source you consult— • On the notecard, place the following info— • Author • Title(s) of articles, journals, newspapers • Date and place of publication • Publisher’s name • Date of access (when you looked it up) • Internet address (URL)

Sample Card MAGAZINE Brown, Quincey. “Why We Need the Minutemen in Modern America.” Time 15 March 2005: 33+.

Sample Card INTERNET ARTICLE Johnson, Bruce. “Stop the Flow: It’s Time to Close the Borders!” Newsweek Online 30 January 2005. 4 April 2005. www.newsweek.com.

Sample Card BOOK CALL # Zulula, Marcy. The History of Immigration in America: Legal and Illegal. New York: Bantam Books, 2004.

Taking Notes on your Sources Whenever you are consulting a text that you could possibly use for information to put into your essay, you should consider how you want to pull out this information… Do you want to…

How to Pull Out Information: Do You Want to… • Paraphrase (putting the original words into your own language using your own style; it should sound like you) • Summarize (capturing the main point/idea from the original and shortening the passage) • Quote (pulling out direct phrases or sentences from the original—ONLY use for 15% of paper for • Expert opinion • Memorable/beautiful language • Concise/accurate, technical, medical language

Paraphrasing How to Tips: • Read the original several times • Read two pages before and after the section that you will use • Do NOT look at the original when you are paraphrasing. • Try to explain the information aloud to someone • Write out the paraphrase right after you explain it • If paraphrase seems too informal, revise it with formal language/style (edit out “You” and contractions and slang, etc.)

Paraphrase Example Original passage: “According to the Border Patrol agents working along the Arizona-Mexico line, vigilantes are unwelcome because they pose an immediate threat to the official codes and standards of immigrant spotting, questioning, detaining, and deporting.”

Paraphrase Example Acceptable Paraphrase: Agents patrolling the Arizona-Mexico landscape do not support the idea of a civilian group watching for illegal immigrants crossing. They worry that these civilians will not know how to properly find, interrogate, hold, and send back the undocumented aliens.

Summarizing How to Tips: • Reread the passage several times to try to get the main point • Practice stating the main point in a single sentence • Begin the summary with words like: “This text is trying to show….” or “These passages/sections prove/demonstrate….”

Summary Example Original Passage: “Throughout history, civilians have attempted to take on the roles of government, especially when they believed that government was not doing its job or was doing something that would intentionally or inadvertently harm the common person. For example……(several examples given over several pages).”

Summary Example Acceptable Summary: (This passage shows that…) It is not a new phenomenon that average people are banning together to correct the injustices they perceive come straight from government.

Quote Example According to James Gilchrist, founder of the Project, “The Minutemen have been completely successful in sending the message to Washington that the American people are tired of having borders—only in theory, not in reality” (25).

Documenting your Sources • Using MLA Citations: • In-text parentheticals (following ANYTHING BORROWED with a set of parentheses) • End-text parentheticals/Works Cited (containing a list of all the sources that you USE/CITE within your essay

In-Text Parentheticals Use a set of parentheses at the end of any sentence in which something was either quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Parentheses will usually contain the following: • (Author’s Last Name page) • (“First Few Words of Title” page)

Sample In-Text Parentheticals The faces of white supremacists have become much more conservative in recent years with leaders showing up at white power rallies in three piece suits and designer shoes (Simpson 5 of 10). “These groups look more like stock market specialists than Klansmen,” says former WAR member, Spongebob Squarepants (A2). Not only are these men and women looking more mainstream but they are tailoring their speech to sound more in line with political correctness (Brown 15).

Works Cited This is your bibliography where you will list the sources used in the paper— • Alphabetically by author’s last name OR by title if anonymous • Double-spaced • Indenting five spaces the second (and third) line of each source entry • Titled “Works Cited” centered at the top of the page

Sample Works Cited Page Works Cited Brown, John. The Freedom to Speak Freely. New York: Bantam Books, 2003. Simpson, Bart. “The Art of Failure.” Time Online 14 February 2005. 15 February 2005. www.timemagazine.com. Squarepants, Spongebob. “Understanding Cartoon Characters.” Los Angeles Times 15 February 2005: A2. “Zealots or Terrorists?” American Civil Liberties Union. 10 January 2005. 14 February 2005. www.aclu.org.

Helpful Cites Modern Language Association www.mla.org Purdue University’s Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Honolulu Community College Library http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/legacylib/mlahcc.html

A Final Thought • "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." • - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) • "Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." • - Rene Descartes (1596-1650), "Discours de la Methode" • "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." • - Henry Ford (1863-1947) • "Do, or do not. There is no 'try'." • - Yoda ('The Empire Strikes Back') Good Luck!!!

The Research Process