Research Skills and Writing Presented by the CASA Writing Center

Research process Creating a research question Narrowing your search terms Researching your topic Evaluating sources Analyzing sources Managing sources Citing sources Annotating sources

Creating a Research Question Writing a research question clarifies and focuses the goal of your research and writing. Your research question should be: Argumentative Specific and detailed – narrow and focused Interesting and motivating to you as a researcher and writer Accessible through research Achievable within time available to you

What is your research question? general topic I am studying… the economic impact of the UAS program at TAMUCC. To argue… that it will positively impact the local job economy in Corpus Christi, Texas. In order to… persuade my audience that this is a good opportunity for TAMUCC, Corpus Christi, and the state of Texas. What is your position? Why does your reader/audience need to know about this? From the research proposal you have written, work to create a research question that narrows the focus of your research. What are you researching and writing to find out? Why? Sample Research Question How will the Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program at TAMUCC positively impact the local job economy in Corpus Christi, Texas?

Selecting search terms a dynamic and ongoing process Create a research question Define research topic Brainstorm search terms Perform search Record new search terms Refine research topic Create a written list of main idea words

Select search Terms Identify key terms, phrases, and descriptors to use when searching for sources. Use an index, thesaurus, database or subject headings guide to help refine your search terms. What are your search terms? economic impact / Corpus Christi jobs Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) / Lone Star UAS

Research Search for sources through the library and university databases. Mary and Jeff Bell Library Consider related keywords. If you find a relevant source, look at its references for additional sources you can research.

The library Physically visit the library Virtually visit the library Digital book catalog Browse the stacks Visit with a librarian Virtually visit the library Mary and Jeff Bell Library - http://rattler.tamucc.edu/ Visit public libraries www.worldcat.org

Selecting Databases University Database Hub Articles – journals, newspapers Primary sources Historical statistics Websites Audio/Video resources Background information – specialized encyclopedias Select databases and/or journals based on your research topic. LibGuides Find Journals List Ask for a student to provide an example of their search terms and how they can find a database and/or journal that is relevant.

Evaluating Sources Type of source – publication medium Periodicals: journal, newspaper, magazine Books: reference, textbook, edited collection Government documents Public records Primary sources Author(s) credentials education, publications, affiliations Date of publication Audience Documentation of research Writing style, organization, readability, accessibility Rhetorical appeals

Analyzing Sources rhetorically Consider the author(s) of each source. What is their expertise on the topic? What is their perspective on the topic? Do they address other perspectives on the topic? Consider the audience of each source. Who is the intended/general audience? What is the author’s purpose? Consider the context of each source. When was this source written? What are its rhetorical constraints? time (of author and audience), place (creation and consumption), conversation/community In any given rhetorical situation, “community” and “conversation” can refer to the people specifically involved in the act of communication. The specific nature of authors’ communities and conversations affect the ways that texts are made while the specific nature of audiences’ communities and conversations affect the ways that texts are received and appreciated.

Managing Sources Save a copy of source materials. Digital or printed copy Accessible link Create a list of the sources you plan to use. Working Bibliography in APA format Take notes while reading source material. If you use any language from the original source, place these words in “quotation marks.” Take note of bibliographic information – author, year, page number Create a research matrix to organize major themes, arguments, or main ideas.

Creating a Research Matrix Look for patterns of information – which major themes, arguments, or main ideas are discussed and by which sources? These patterns can be useful in organizing and managing your research. Include research question here. Author 1 Author 2 Author 3 Author 4 Common theme 1 Include major points, summaries, or quotations in each block—be sure to cite! Common theme 2 Common theme 3 Common theme 4 You can create a research matrix through MS word or you can create one on paper. They are very helpful for finding out how your sources discuss major themes, arguments, or main ideas. They can also help you organize your research to discuss major concepts, including multiple sources in the discussion.

Working bibliography in APA Your annotated bibliography will include an APA reference entry and an annotation for each source. To cite your sources in APA, use the appropriate formula for the type of source and plug in the publication information. This workshop provides formulas for the following: Book or book chapter Scholarly journal article Web sources – website, blog post If you have questions about how to cite other types of sources: Visit the CASA Writing Center – we have copies of the APA manual and helpful handouts Visit the OWL @ Purdue Website – helpful resources on APA and general writing

Book Entire book (print version) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of book. Location: Publisher. Entire book – with edition or volume (print version) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of book (2nd ed.). Location: Publisher. Entire book (online version) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of book. Retrieved from http://xxxxx Notice letter case (only proper nouns are capitalized – all other words will be lower case): used with book titles, chapter titles, article titles. Location includes the city and abbreviated state , or city and country, of the publisher. New York, NY Austin, TX London, England

Book Chapter Book chapter (print version) Author, A. A. (year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Location: Publisher. Book chapter (online version) Author, A. A. (year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Retrieved from http:// If there is no author for the chapter or entry, begin with title of the entry. If there are no page numbers for the entry, the chapter or entry title is sufficient.

Journal Article Journal article (print version) Author, A. A. (year). Title of article from journal. Title of Journal, volume(issue), page-page. Journal article (retrieved online – with DOI) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), page-page. doi:xx.xxxxxxxx Journal article (retrieved online – no DOI available) Author, A. A. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), page page. Retrieved from http://journalhomepage Notice that the title of the Journal is italicized and in Title Case – this means all major words except connecting words are capitalized.

Web Sources General reference format for web source Author, A. A. (year). Title of document. Retrieved from http://xxxxx No author Title of document. (year). Retrieved from http://xxxxx No date Author, A. A. (n.d.). Title of document. Retrieved from http://xxxxx No title Author, A. A. (year). [Description of document]. Retrieved from http://xxxxx Blog post Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://xxxxx If you have other types of sources, make sure to look up how to cite these – come by the WC to borrow our APA manual or pick up a handout or check the OWL@ Purdue.

References American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Clark, I. (2007). Writing the successful thesis and dissertation. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Cooperative Library Instruction Project (CLIP). (n.d.). Generating search terms. Retrieved from http://www.clipinfolit.org/tutorials/ Lester, J. D., & Lester, J. D., Jr. (2012). Writing research papers: A complete guide (14th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. Mann, T. (2005). The Oxford guide to library research. New York, NY: Oxford. Purdue OWL. (n.d.). Rhetorical situations. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/625/ UW-Madison Writing Center. (2009). Planning and writing a research paper. Retrieved from http://writing.wisc.edu/