The Research Process: Finding, Annotating, and Organizing the Literature Created by Dr. Mary Clai Jones and Amy Miller November 2015 Created by Dr. Mary Clai Jones and Amy Miller November 2015

Where does the research process begin? Begin by reviewing your assignment to determine what kind of research is needed for the particular project at hand. Determine your topic and keywords through pre-writing, a strategy used to begin brainstorming ideas before a project begins. Determine the kinds of research needed for the assignment. Will you need scholarly, peer-reviewed articles? Will you need case studies? Interviews? News paper articles? Then search for outside sources by using library databases and online catalogues to locate books. Begin by reviewing your assignment to determine what kind of research is needed for the particular project at hand. Determine your topic and keywords through pre-writing, a strategy used to begin brainstorming ideas before a project begins. Determine the kinds of research needed for the assignment. Will you need scholarly, peer-reviewed articles? Will you need case studies? Interviews? News paper articles? Then search for outside sources by using library databases and online catalogues to locate books.

Before Getting Started: Pre-writing First and foremost, read the assignment guidelines (check the syllabus or Canvas) to understand what kind of writing and what kind of research you need to do. After reading through your assignment carefully, begin brainstorming what you want to write by jotting down your main ideas. What topics and themes will your project engage? What research questions will you ask? First and foremost, read the assignment guidelines (check the syllabus or Canvas) to understand what kind of writing and what kind of research you need to do. After reading through your assignment carefully, begin brainstorming what you want to write by jotting down your main ideas. What topics and themes will your project engage? What research questions will you ask?

Before Getting Started: Pre-writing Draft a thesis statement. A thesis statement, or purpose statement, is the organizing claim your essay or project makes. Every piece of writing you produce for your classes should state a clear purpose or thesis. Although your thesis statement might evolve over the course of the project, a preliminary thesis will keep you focused. Then review your notes. Look for recurring keywords in your brainstorming and thesis statement. What are some synonyms for those words? Draft a thesis statement. A thesis statement, or purpose statement, is the organizing claim your essay or project makes. Every piece of writing you produce for your classes should state a clear purpose or thesis. Although your thesis statement might evolve over the course of the project, a preliminary thesis will keep you focused. Then review your notes. Look for recurring keywords in your brainstorming and thesis statement. What are some synonyms for those words?

Before Getting Started: Using Boxes

Think about how long your paper must be. If your paper is 8 pages, draw 8 boxes on a page and think about how your main topics will spread across those 8 boxes/pages. If you have an intro and a conclusion, that leaves 6-7 pages. If you want to cover a point thoroughly, you need 1-2 pages per point. So, that means you need to brainstorm at least 3 points to fill out an 8 page paper! Your rubric may also give you more guidelines about points you must cover. Fill out your boxes (see prior illustration) and use this as you begin conduction research. Think about how long your paper must be. If your paper is 8 pages, draw 8 boxes on a page and think about how your main topics will spread across those 8 boxes/pages. If you have an intro and a conclusion, that leaves 6-7 pages. If you want to cover a point thoroughly, you need 1-2 pages per point. So, that means you need to brainstorm at least 3 points to fill out an 8 page paper! Your rubric may also give you more guidelines about points you must cover. Fill out your boxes (see prior illustration) and use this as you begin conduction research.

A Step by Step Guide to Conducting Your Search The following slides will show you how to: Step 1: Create search terms and use keyword searches to find sources Step 2: Suggest where to look for sources Step 3: Evaluate sources Step 4: Keep track of your findings The following slides will show you how to: Step 1: Create search terms and use keyword searches to find sources Step 2: Suggest where to look for sources Step 3: Evaluate sources Step 4: Keep track of your findings

Step 1: Using a keyword search

Generating Keywords  When you begin searching for relevant sources for your assignment, start with a list of keywords or search terms. Consider the flow chart in the previous slide.  Note that research questions are converted into keywords. Review your notes and try applying this method to extract keywords for your own project.  Keywords are terms and words you choose that relate to your project topic.  Make sure to include synonyms and Boolean phrases to maximize your time searching. (Ask a librarian about Boolean search tools).  When you begin searching for relevant sources for your assignment, start with a list of keywords or search terms. Consider the flow chart in the previous slide.  Note that research questions are converted into keywords. Review your notes and try applying this method to extract keywords for your own project.  Keywords are terms and words you choose that relate to your project topic.  Make sure to include synonyms and Boolean phrases to maximize your time searching. (Ask a librarian about Boolean search tools).

Selecting the Best Keywords  For example, if you are writing a literature review that analyzes research done on treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder, you will need to combine keywords to limit the search.  For instance, will your project address the history of PTSD treatment? Recent developments? Will your review of research include children? Adults? Effects and causes? Here are a few examples of keyword combinations: Treatment and PTSD Cause and Effects and PTSD History and PTSD  For example, if you are writing a literature review that analyzes research done on treatment for Post-traumatic stress disorder, you will need to combine keywords to limit the search.  For instance, will your project address the history of PTSD treatment? Recent developments? Will your review of research include children? Adults? Effects and causes? Here are a few examples of keyword combinations: Treatment and PTSD Cause and Effects and PTSD History and PTSD

Step 2: Where to Look for Research

Lincoln U Library Databases The University subscribes to a wide variety of searchable databases that collect scholarly, academic publications. Some of the staff from Academic Support Services are here to demonstrate using LU’s electronic databases. If you have any questions, you can always meet with a Learning Specialist or Writing Tutor in the Lower Level of Page Library. What are some other sources you can find at the library? The University subscribes to a wide variety of searchable databases that collect scholarly, academic publications. Some of the staff from Academic Support Services are here to demonstrate using LU’s electronic databases. If you have any questions, you can always meet with a Learning Specialist or Writing Tutor in the Lower Level of Page Library. What are some other sources you can find at the library?

Step 3:Evaluate Sources Once you find and decide on the sources to use for your project, evaluate their purpose. What does your assignment say about the use of outside research? How will research be used in your project? Record information for each source you choose in order to keep track of your evidence and to avoid plagiarism. sources to yourself and save them on a thumbdrive. *Information on this slide is paraphrased from The St. Martin’s Handbook pages by Andrea Lunsford, sixth edition. Once you find and decide on the sources to use for your project, evaluate their purpose. What does your assignment say about the use of outside research? How will research be used in your project? Record information for each source you choose in order to keep track of your evidence and to avoid plagiarism. sources to yourself and save them on a thumbdrive. *Information on this slide is paraphrased from The St. Martin’s Handbook pages by Andrea Lunsford, sixth edition.

How to Determine Credibility and Relevance Evaluate the usefulness and credibility of sources by looking at the publication information, reading abstracts, and checking references of books and articles.

Annotating Sources To annotate means to mark up a text, taking notes and recording thoughts and questions. Annotation is a skill used in active reading and critical thinking. It is also an important step in the research process. John J. Ruszkiewicz’s, How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference for the University of Kentucky, observes that annotating sources helps “identify the best ideas and most convincing evidence for your project” (487). To annotate means to mark up a text, taking notes and recording thoughts and questions. Annotation is a skill used in active reading and critical thinking. It is also an important step in the research process. John J. Ruszkiewicz’s, How to Write Anything: A Guide and Reference for the University of Kentucky, observes that annotating sources helps “identify the best ideas and most convincing evidence for your project” (487).

How to Annotate Take notes about each source you want to include in your project. Pay special attention to the argument, evidence, hypothesis and conclusion of each source. Then, “pay attention to the way these ideas recur within the work” and decide if the author(s) makes a logical, cogent argument (Ruszkiewicz 487). Record any questions or reactions you have to each. This will help you evaluate and review sources in detail later in your project (Ruszkiewicz 488). Take notes about each source you want to include in your project. Pay special attention to the argument, evidence, hypothesis and conclusion of each source. Then, “pay attention to the way these ideas recur within the work” and decide if the author(s) makes a logical, cogent argument (Ruszkiewicz 487). Record any questions or reactions you have to each. This will help you evaluate and review sources in detail later in your project (Ruszkiewicz 488).

Annotating Tip Color Coding is a great way to organize multiple sources. If you know your paper needs to cover 3 main points, assign a color to each point. When you are reading your research materials, you will find good material that relates to your main points. When you do, highlight the quote with the color assigned, so you can easily locate supporting material when you tackle that section of your paper.

Color Coding Illustrated

Organize The final step in the research process is to organize your findings. Before including your thoughts about each piece of scholarship or research, figure out how, when, and where you will include them in your writing project. The kind of writing you do next will determine how you integrate your scholarly findings. Look at your assignment again. What do the guidelines ask you to do with your research? The final step in the research process is to organize your findings. Before including your thoughts about each piece of scholarship or research, figure out how, when, and where you will include them in your writing project. The kind of writing you do next will determine how you integrate your scholarly findings. Look at your assignment again. What do the guidelines ask you to do with your research?

Organize: Back to Boxes Remember your 8 boxes from before? Double check they still match your main points. Now, think about what research resources support your main topics. Use your boxes to record this information. It is a good idea to use a variety of research resources in a research paper. Review your boxes: do you have a good variety of research? Remember your 8 boxes from before? Double check they still match your main points. Now, think about what research resources support your main topics. Use your boxes to record this information. It is a good idea to use a variety of research resources in a research paper. Review your boxes: do you have a good variety of research?

Boxes to Paper! Now you are ready to begin writing a research paper. Keep your boxes at hand – don’t be daunted by the size of the assignment! Just tackle one box at a time. You can work on the flow of your paper during the revision process. Your boxes will guide you! Now you are ready to begin writing a research paper. Keep your boxes at hand – don’t be daunted by the size of the assignment! Just tackle one box at a time. You can work on the flow of your paper during the revision process. Your boxes will guide you!

Works Cited “Evaluating Information Summary Chart.” Tutorials. Oakland University Library. n.d. Web. 15 June Lunsford, Andrea A. The St. Martin’s Handbook. 3 rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Print. -- and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s and Argument. 6 th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Print. “Evaluating Information Summary Chart.” Tutorials. Oakland University Library. n.d. Web. 15 June Lunsford, Andrea A. The St. Martin’s Handbook. 3 rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Print. -- and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Everything’s and Argument. 6 th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Print.