Research and Writing for the Real World

Research is not a simple linear process; it is a complex and challenging set of tasks. It becomes easier if you break down the process into manageable steps.

RESEARCH OUTLINE

Get Organized!
Developing a Topic
Research Resources
Evaluate Findings
Organize and Cite Your Research
Research Assistance

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PLAN AHEAD
* Researching and writing a good paper requires time, planning and creativity
* Start early to avoid stress
* You may be competing with hundreds of others for the same materials
* Do not be surprised if your research takes unexpected twists and turns

TAKE CLEAR NOTES
* From the start, keep accurate notes of where you find information
* When you find a relevant source, record the complete citation immediately;
* Later it will be difficult to retrace your steps to find these details
* Eventually you will need to accurately cite all sources in your bibliography

KNOW THE ASSIGNMENT
* Understand the requirements and goals of the assignment
* Unsure? Ask your instructor to clarify
* From time to time, review the assignment parameters to make sure you are on track

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PICK A TOPIC and IDENTIFY CONCEPTS:


GENERATE or BRAINSTORM CONCEPTS, KEYWORDS, SYNONYMS:


* You can't count on finding articles about your exact topic, so think creatively
* Deconstruct your topic into component parts
* Examine each part and think of related concepts, terms & keywords

THINK BROADLY:


* Expand your field of focus & think broadly. Ask yourself:

• What industry/sector does my research question relate to?
  i.e. think broader than restaurant to food service in general, small business, and even franchise.

• Are there other similar environments where this type of situation might occur? For example, might this type of problem also occur in retail in general?

LEXICAL TOOLS:


* There are tools that can help you think of search terms. For example: WordNet, a lexical database, provides synonyms & other types of lexical relationships

* For example:



* Some other good lexical tools are OneLook and Wordsmyth

* The goal is to end up with a list of terms to choose from when you begin searching

WHO IS THINKING & WRITING ABOUT YOUR TOPIC?

Who (person or organization) would care enough about your topic to produce informational materials?

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Where appropriate, go 'beyond' the library to use these resources:

* Need help distinguishing between various types of publications? Use this guide to scholarly journals.

* Need help knowing what is a primary & secondary source? Use this guide to primary sources.

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TAKE TIME TO EVALUATE YOUR REFERENCES:


* Thorough research = good bibliography = better grades
* Take time to critically evaluate the relevance and quality of your findings
* Do not settle on the first few articles you find
* If you use a search engine to surf the Web evaluate the pages you retrieve
* Review Evaluating Web Sites and Checklist for Evaluating Web Sites

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ORGANIZE YOUR RESEARCH:


* Consider using an online research and citation management system to organize your research and automatically generate bibliographies in APA, MLA or other styles. There are a number of these

CITE WORK NOT ORIGINAL TO YOU:


* Style manuals give the rules for how books, articles, Web pages and other
   materials should be documented

* Researchers must cite the work of others, regardless of the format (print or online)
    and type of material (books, articles, interview, Web pages, etc.)

* Guides to Citation Systems and Style Manuals, e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian)

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?


* According to UM's Student Honor Council, plagiarism is:

   Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or areas of another as one's
   own in academic exercise.

AVOID PLAGIARIZING BY:


* Taking clear and accurate note about where you found ideas, paragraphs, etc.
* Separating your own ideas, your summaries of others'work and others'exact wording
* Recording the complete citation for each source you use
* Using quotation marks when using an author's exact words
* If you are unsure whether to cite ask a librarian or instructor for help
* All members of the University share in the responsibility to uphold the
   Code of Academic Integrity, and the Code of Student Conduct

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Reference Librarians are available for consultation and in-depth assistance. They are experts in searching databases and the Web and in finding information on countless topics. If you wish to talk to a Librarian who is an information expert in a particular subject area, refer to the: Directory of Librarian Subject Specialists.

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