Conducting Research (Week 12)

Introduction

Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a paralegal, or a parent, you probably perform research in your everyday life. When your boss, your instructor, or a family member asks you a question that you do not know the answer to, you locate relevant information, analyze your findings, and share your results. Locating, analyzing, and sharing information are key steps in the research process, and in this instructional cycle, you will learn how to conduct research using resources from the Cabrillo College library.

Reasons for Research

When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research. In college, many times you conduct research to answer questions that are part of an assignment. Instructors want you to conduct research so that you discover what others have learned about the ideas and subject matter that make up the course. You can conduct research for a biology class, for a history class, for a kinesiology class. Writing a research paper is an ideal way to organize thoughts, craft narratives or make arguments based on research, and share your newfound knowledge with the world.

A research paper presents an original thesis about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

A persuasive essay is a research paper that presents an argument about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

A Research Plan: Keywords & A Note-Taking System

Now that you have chosen your research question, you are ready to begin the research. This phase can be both exciting and challenging. You will need to locate sources AND have enough time to read the sources, take notes, and think about how to use the information. In order to locate sources, you'll need to identify keywords that you will use to search library databases and other online sites. It is also necessary to keep track of the articles you find, the citation info for each article, and basic notes about the articles--you can do this via the "research plan" that you decide to set up. Let's get started!

Keywords 

Before you start searching, think about what search terms are relevant to your topic:  what are your keywords? 

For the research topic "systemic racism and homeownership," try to find synonyms or similar words. Some keywords might be:

  • Racism, discrimination, segregation
  • Systemic, structural, institutional
  • Housing, homeownership, homeownership rates

As you read, take notes, and learn more about your topic, you will identify new keywords:

  • Redlining
  • Fair Housing Act
  • Predatory lending
  • Gentrification

Use Glen Justice's " Download Systemic Racism--Can the Structures of Inequality be Overcome?

" to find more keywords. For example, "inequality" might be added to the list. What are your 5 to 10 keywords? 

Use a Note-Taking System That Works for You

There are several formats you can use to take notes and to set up a "research plan." No technique is necessarily better than the others— it is more important to choose a format you are comfortable using. Choosing the format that works best for you will ensure your notes are organized, complete, and accurate. Consider implementing one of these formats when you begin taking notes:

  • Use index cards. This traditional format involves writing each note on a separate index card. It takes more time than copying and pasting into an electronic document, which encourages you to be selective in choosing which ideas to record. Recording notes on separate cards makes it easy to later organize your notes according to major topics. Some writers color-code their cards to make them still more organized.
  • Make a Google Slide deck. This is a digital version of the index card method. Use one slide for each source. Include the title, citation, notes, and quotes!
  • Make a Google doc file or use note-taking software. Google docs, Microsoft Word, and other office software packages often include different types of note-taking features or you can make a file that fits your note-taking style. Although you may need to set aside some time to learn how to set up note-taking online to keep track of your sources and research, this method combines the speed of typing with the same degree of organization associated with handwritten notes.
  • Maintain a research notebook. Instead of using index cards or Google docs, you may wish to keep a notebook and allot a few pages for each of your sources. This method makes it easy to create a separate column or section of the document where you add your responses to the information you encounter in your research. (You can also do this online with Google docs or Word--make a research folder, then inside start a new doc for each source that you find.)
  • Annotate your sources. This method involves making handwritten notes in the margins of sources that you have printed or photocopied. If using electronic sources, you can make comments within the source document. For example, you might add comment boxes to a PDF version of an article. 

Choose one of the methods from the list to use for taking notes. As you begin gathering sources, take notes. Always think about your research question and what information each source provides. 

Evaluating Research Resources

As you gather sources, you will need to examine them with a critical eye. Smart researchers continually ask themselves two questions: “Is this source relevant to my purpose?” and “Is this source reliable?” The first question will help you avoid wasting valuable time reading sources that stray too far from your specific topic and research questions. The second question will help you find accurate, trustworthy sources.

Determining Whether a Source Is Relevant

Eventually, you will identify many potential sources. For every research assignment, you should aim to find three to ten sources! As you find your sources, skim their contents. Read quickly with your research questions and subtopics in mind.  If a book or article is not especially relevant, put it aside. You can always come back to it later if you need to.

Tips for Figuring Out if a Source is Relevant

  1. Skim the article and  ask yourself if it provides information that answers your research question
  2. Review the introduction and conclusion for a summary of the article
  3. Skim through subheadings and text features such as sidebars for main points
  4. Look for keywords related to your topic
  5. Journal articles often begin with an abstract or summary of the contents. Read it to determine the article’s relevance to your research

Determining Whether a Source Is Reliable

All information sources are not created equal. Sources can vary greatly in terms of how carefully they are researched, written, edited, and reviewed for accuracy. Common sense will help you identify obviously questionable sources, such as tabloids that feature tales of alien abductions, or personal websites with glaring typos. Sometimes, however, a source’s reliability—or lack of it—is not so obvious.

To evaluate your research sources, consider criteria such as the type of source, its intended purpose and audience, the author’s qualifications, the publication’s reputation, any indications of bias or hidden agendas, how current the source is, and the overall quality of the writing, thinking, and design.

Evaluating Types of Sources

The different types of sources you will consult are written for distinct purposes and with different audiences in mind. This accounts for other differences, such as the following:

  • How thoroughly the writers cover a given topic
  • How carefully the writers research and document facts
  • How editors review the work
  • What biases or agendas affect the content

A journal article written for an academic audience for the purpose of expanding scholarship in a given field will take an approach quite different from a magazine feature written to inform a general audience. Textbooks, hard news articles, and websites approach a subject from different angles as well. To some extent, the type of source provides clues about its overall depth and reliability. 

What to Do!

  1. Develop a research plan. Include your research question, a list of 5 to 10 keywords, and how you will take notes.
  2. Set up your note-taking system. If you are using index cards, make sure to have them ready. If you are going to write notes on Google docs, then make a "Research" folder. If you are going to handwrite your notes, then get that ready too. Buy a notebook, printer paper, etc. 
  3. Turn in your research plan on the next page as part of Assignment: Week 12--Your Research Plan

Adapted from "ENGL 101 - Rhetoric & Composition" Links to an external site. by Amber Kinonen, Jennifer McCann, Todd McCann, and Erica Mead, Bay College  licensed under CC BY 4.0 Links to an external site.

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