Transcript If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research.

Research Paper
English 12
Choosing a topic
• Make a list of ideas
• Use an online idea generator or list of topics
(these links available online)
– http://www.lib.odu.edu/libassist/idea/index.php
– http://school.nettrekker.com/subject/
– http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/start.do?userGroupName=lom
_soughtandhs&&prodId=OVRC&finalAuth=true
• Browse through a book or magazine in an
area that interests you
What key words can you use
to search for information?
• Write 2-3 sentences
about what you already
know or think about
your topic and underline
the main words you use
• Make a list of words
and ideas related to
your topic and
alternative ways to
identify your topic (for
example, death penalty
and capital punishment)
• Use a Thesaurus to
come up with
alternative terms for
your topic
http://thesaurus.reference.com/
• Use a subject guide
http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/subje
ctguide.do?prodId=OVRC&method=
displayForm&userGroupName=lom
_soughtandhs
• Use Boolean operators
• Keep a journal of
search successes and
failures
Ways to Access Information
• Books -- search the SAHS Media
Center collection (includes electronic
books)
• Databases -- access articles and other
research data
• Internet Search Engines -- try
netTrekker
Tips for searching a database
• Be sure to spell your search terms correctly
• Think of several different terms you could use to
search for the same topic
• Use quotation marks “” around a multiple word
phrase
• Change the type of search as necessary -- keyword
searches the entire document for your terms, subject
searches the topic labels associated with documents,
publication title limits a search to one newspaper or
magazine, you may also be able to limit the date
range that will be searched
General Tips
• DON’T PANIC!
• Save all your work in one folder or
notebook and do not use that folder or
notebook for anything else
• Talk about it!
More help available
• Check the Media Center website
• Check the Senior Research Paper help page
• Ask me!