librarysourcesrevise 100614125631-phpapp02
TRANSCRIPT
Selecting a Topic
Formulating a
Research Question
Identifying Main Ideas
Identifying Information Sources & Tools
Gathering Background Info
Locating & Retrieving Materials
Determining Relevancy
Organizing Info
Writing the Paper
Revising the Paper
The Research ProcessTen Basic Steps
Business
Religion
Politics
Technology
Science
health
Term Paper Topics
• Abortion
• Affirmative Action
• AIDS
• Animal Rights
• Anthrax
• Assisted Suicide
• Asteroids
• Blackout
• Capital Punishment
• Child Abuse
• Cloning
• Conjoined Twins
• Diabetes
• Drunk Driving
• Easter Island
• Eating Disorders
• E-mail Spam
• Empire State Building
• Global Warming
• Gangs
• Gender Issues Health Care
• Holocaust Immigration Islam
A topic is general. It is a category, frequently expressed in a single word or phrase, such as “alcoholism" or “teenage mothers.” A topic is a good starting point, but by itself, it is usually too broad, and so it must be refined.
Ask Yourself Questions About Your Topic:
•Is the topic of interest to me?
•Is my topic appropriate for my audience? Is it relevant to my course?
•How much or how little do I know about it?
The Q the researcher asks that guides his or her inquiry into the topic. A good research question asks a clear, concise question and helps you keep a tight focus on your topic.
A good RQ is broad enough to allow you to find enough material, but narrow enough to fit within the size and time constraints of your paper.
Choose a RQ worth arguing about or exploring (So what?).
FORMULATE A RESEARCH QUESTION
books
articles
reviews
textbooks
bibliographies
Web sites
census data
laws
diariesspeeches
autobiographies
tech reports
transcriptse-mail
musical scoresletters
Data or information that
has not been analyzed or evaluated
Data that has been analyzed
Narrow by Viewpoint
Research Question
Viewpoint Limiters
What is the constitutionality of Internet filtering technology in public libraries?
Topic
•Cultural•Social•Legal•Medical•Ethical•Biological•Psychological•Economic•Political•Philosophical
Teen Pregnancy
Topic Research Question
Narrow by Population
Eating Disorders
What new therapeutic options are available to Bulimia in teenage girls?
Population Limiters
Age, Gender, Nationality, Species,
Group
Narrow by Time
Research QuestionTopic
VitaminsWhat new
developments in vitamin therapy will help prevent heart
disease?
Topic Research Question
Fast Food & Obesity Is fast-food to blame for the rising obesity rates in the United States?
PLACE LIMITERS•Country•Continent•Region•City•State •Place•Organization•Institution
Narrow by Place
What current, effective management practices have American Fortune 500 companies initiated to eliminate the “glass ceiling” for their women managers?
Viewpoint
Narrowed Research Question
Limiting Criteria
Limiters
Management practices to eliminate the glass ceiling
Place
Time
American corporations; Fortune 500 companies
Current initiatives?
Topic: Management
Women managersPopulation
“glass ceiling”
U.S.
Present
Women
IT’S EASY TO REMEMBER
• WHO
• WHAT
• WHEN
• WHERE
• WHY
• POPULATION
• ASPECT-
VIEWPOINT
• TIME
• PLACE
• SO WHAT??????