Step 1:  Review assignment to ensure you understand instructor?s requirements

• Topic: Has the instructor assigned a topic, either general or specific?
• Purpose: Is this an informational or persuasive paper, an essay?
• Length: How many pages are required?
• Sources: Are there suggested sources, or restrictions on the number and type of sources?

Step 2:  Select Your Topic

Select a topic that:

• Interests you, or is something you want to know more about
• Meets your instructor?s requirements
• Has sufficient information that is readily available

 Gather topic ideas from:

• A list of topics provided by your instructor
• Text books or assigned readings
• Preliminary reading in encyclopedias, newspapers or magazines

Step 3:  Refine Your Topic from broad to narrow concepts

Narrow topic by identifying ideas or concepts included in broader topic
    Example: Broad topic:  violence
    Narrow topics:  violence in the media, domestic violence, gun control

Sources to help you narrow your topic:

• Subject terms in library catalogs, databases, or encyclopedias
• Background research in encyclopedias, newspapers or magazine articles

Write your topic as a thesis statement, or short sentence that:

• Defines the main idea of your paper
• States what you will describe or prove in your paper

Step 4:  Plan Your Search Strategy

Search strategy: mapping out the key ideas of your topic in order to ease the search for information)

Make a list of keywords related to your topic

• Main ideas
• Synonyms or words with the same or similar meaning

Develop search terms

• Start with one search term, even though results may be too broad
• Add a second search term with Boolean Operator AND, OR
  • 1. AND narrows a search; results are limited to materials that include all of the specified terms in text
  • 2. OR broadens a search; results are materials that include any of the search terms in the text
• Add additional search terms as needed

Step 5:  Gather Sources

Sources to use for an overview of topic

• i. General encyclopedias (Reference shelves, call number 031)
• ii. Subject encyclopedias (search catalog using subject term and encyclopedia; example: science and encyclopedia)
• iii. Subject dictionaries (search catalog using subject term and dictionary; example: computer and dictionary)
• iv. Magazines and newspaper articles from general interest periodicals

Sources to use for specialized information

• books (search catalog for specific titles; browse call number location for related titles)
• Scholarly journals (journals published for academics or professionals; holdings include print journals and electronic databases with full text)
• Internet (use caution, must evaluate Internet sources for credibility, authority and currency). Try Widener University's excellent guide, "How to Recognize an Informational Web Page." To learn more, you can also access the Widener Library's detailed Web Evaluation Materials.

Keep track of sources used for citing documentation

• Write all publication information, pages used, etc.
• Know what style format is required for citations (example: APA style)

Learn about plagiarism at our plagiarism links page.

Research Guides are available that contain suggested resources for your specific research topic.

With your research completed, you are ready to start writing your paper! Consider browsing the Online Writing Center from Purdue University, a well-regarded source for writing and researching information.