{"id":218,"date":"2016-08-10T15:33:54","date_gmt":"2016-08-10T15:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/styleguide\/?post_type=chapter&p=218"},"modified":"2023-08-02T17:35:13","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T17:35:13","slug":"preliminary-research-strategies","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-geneseo-guidetowriting\/chapter\/preliminary-research-strategies\/","title":{"raw":"Preliminary Research Strategies","rendered":"Preliminary Research Strategies"},"content":{"raw":"\"Gears\r\n
\r\n\r\nThe first step towards writing a research paper is pretty obvious: find sources. Not everything that you find will be good, and those that are good are not always easily found. Instructors are very familiar with the phenomenon whereby a student has left research till the last minute, uses the first result that pops up on Google, and then tries to force a merely tangential source to seem central to the thesis of the student's paper.\r\n\r\nIt's not pretty.\r\n\r\nHaving a focused and confident idea of what you're looking for\u2014what will most help you develop your essay and enforce your thesis\u2014will help guide your process.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

Example of a Research Process<\/h2>\r\nA good research process should go through these steps:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Decide on the topic.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Narrow the topic in order to generate more key terms that will narrow search parameters.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Create a question that your research will address.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Generate sub-questions from your main question.<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Determine what kind of sources are best for your argument.<\/li>\r\n \t
  6. Create a bibliography as you gather and reference sources.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nEach of these is described in greater detail below.\r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"230\"]\"Black Books, books, books ...Do not start research haphazardly\u2014come up with a plan first.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    Preliminary Research Strategies<\/h2>\r\nA research plan should begin after you can clearly identify the focus of your argument. First, inform yourself about the basics of your topic (Wikipedia and general online searches are great starting points). Be sure you've read all\u00a0the assigned texts and carefully read the prompt as you gather preliminary information. \u00a0This stage is sometimes called pre-research or prefocus exploration<\/strong>.\r\n\r\nA broad online search will yield thousands of sources, which no one could be expected to read through. To make it easier on yourself, the next step is to narrow your focus. Think about what kind of position or stance you can take on the topic. What about it strikes you as most interesting? Refer back to the prewriting stage of the writing process, which will come in handy here.\r\n
    \r\n

    Preliminary Search Tips<\/h3>\r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. It is okay to start with Wikipedia<\/a> as a reference, but do not use it as an official source if you have been asked to use peer-reviewed material. Look at the links and references at the bottom of the page for more ideas.<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Use \u201cCtrl+F\u201d to find certain words within a webpage in order to jump to the sections of the article that interest you.<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. Use Google Advanced Search<\/a>\u00a0to be more specific in your search. You can also use\u00a0tricks to be more specific within the main Google Search Engine<\/a>:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      1. Use quotation marks to narrow your search from just tanks in WWII to \u201cTanks in WWII\u201d or \u201cTanks\u201d in \u201cWWII\u201d.<\/li>\r\n \t
      2. Find specific types of websites by adding \u201csite:.gov\u201d or \u201csite:.edu\u201d or \u201csite:.org\u201d. You can also search for specific file types like \"filetype:.pdf\".<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t
      3. Click on \"Search Tools\" under the search bar in Google and select \"Any time\" to see a list of options for time periods to help limit your search. You can find information just in the past month or year, or even for a custom range.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_654\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"620\"]\"Google Use features already available through Google Search like Search Tools and Advanced Search to narrow and refine your results.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs you narrow your focus, create a list of questions that you'll need to answer in order to write a good essay on the topic. \u00a0\"Image<\/a>The research process will help you answer these questions.\r\n\r\nAnother part of your research plan should include identifying the type of sources you want to gather. Track your sources in a bibliography list and then jot down notes about the book, article, or document and how it will be useful to your essay. It may seem tedious at first, but as you progress to the writing phase of the paper, this practice will save you a lot of time later\u2014you'll thank yourself!","rendered":"

        \"Gears<\/p>\n

        \n

        The first step towards writing a research paper is pretty obvious: find sources. Not everything that you find will be good, and those that are good are not always easily found. Instructors are very familiar with the phenomenon whereby a student has left research till the last minute, uses the first result that pops up on Google, and then tries to force a merely tangential source to seem central to the thesis of the student’s paper.<\/p>\n

        It’s not pretty.<\/p>\n

        Having a focused and confident idea of what you’re looking for\u2014what will most help you develop your essay and enforce your thesis\u2014will help guide your process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Example of a Research Process<\/h2>\n

        A good research process should go through these steps:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Decide on the topic.<\/li>\n
        2. Narrow the topic in order to generate more key terms that will narrow search parameters.<\/li>\n
        3. Create a question that your research will address.<\/li>\n
        4. Generate sub-questions from your main question.<\/li>\n
        5. Determine what kind of sources are best for your argument.<\/li>\n
        6. Create a bibliography as you gather and reference sources.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Each of these is described in greater detail below.<\/p>\n

          \n
          \n
          \"Black<\/p>\n

          Books, books, books …Do not start research haphazardly\u2014come up with a plan first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Preliminary Research Strategies<\/h2>\n

          A research plan should begin after you can clearly identify the focus of your argument. First, inform yourself about the basics of your topic (Wikipedia and general online searches are great starting points). Be sure you’ve read all\u00a0the assigned texts and carefully read the prompt as you gather preliminary information. \u00a0This stage is sometimes called pre-research or prefocus exploration<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

          A broad online search will yield thousands of sources, which no one could be expected to read through. To make it easier on yourself, the next step is to narrow your focus. Think about what kind of position or stance you can take on the topic. What about it strikes you as most interesting? Refer back to the prewriting stage of the writing process, which will come in handy here.<\/p>\n

          \n

          Preliminary Search Tips<\/h3>\n
            \n
          1. It is okay to start with Wikipedia<\/a> as a reference, but do not use it as an official source if you have been asked to use peer-reviewed material. Look at the links and references at the bottom of the page for more ideas.<\/li>\n
          2. Use \u201cCtrl+F\u201d to find certain words within a webpage in order to jump to the sections of the article that interest you.<\/li>\n
          3. Use Google Advanced Search<\/a>\u00a0to be more specific in your search. You can also use\u00a0tricks to be more specific within the main Google Search Engine<\/a>:\n
              \n
            1. Use quotation marks to narrow your search from just tanks in WWII to \u201cTanks in WWII\u201d or \u201cTanks\u201d in \u201cWWII\u201d.<\/li>\n
            2. Find specific types of websites by adding \u201csite:.gov\u201d or \u201csite:.edu\u201d or \u201csite:.org\u201d. You can also search for specific file types like “filetype:.pdf”.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n
            3. Click on “Search Tools” under the search bar in Google and select “Any time” to see a list of options for time periods to help limit your search. You can find information just in the past month or year, or even for a custom range.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \"Google<\/p>\n

              Use features already available through Google Search like Search Tools and Advanced Search to narrow and refine your results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

              As you narrow your focus, create a list of questions that you’ll need to answer in order to write a good essay on the topic. \u00a0\"Image<\/a>The research process will help you answer these questions.<\/p>\n

              Another part of your research plan should include identifying the type of sources you want to gather. Track your sources in a bibliography list and then jot down notes about the book, article, or document and how it will be useful to your essay. It may seem tedious at first, but as you progress to the writing phase of the paper, this practice will save you a lot of time later\u2014you’ll thank yourself!<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

              \n\t\t\t

              Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
              \n\t\t\t\t\t\t
              \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
              CC licensed content, Original<\/div>