Research Paper #1Library and Web-Based Research

An Overview of the Process

• For the entire semester, you will be working hard on producing a final research paper. This project includes many steps and involves a lot of time.

• A definition of research (n.) : diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories, applications. Retrieved September 1, 2009 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/research

The Process

•Select a Topic•Write a Research Proposal

Stage I

•Look for sources

•Evaluate sources

•Take notes

Stage II

•Focus your ideas

•Write an outline & plan paper

Stage III

•Write the Paper

•Turn in for Evaluation

Stage IV

Stage I Preliminary Reading

• You’ll be reading some articles and the book Omnivore’s Dilemma on various aspects of the current food system in the United States. From this reading, you’ll get a good background of the topic and hopefully develop a curiosity about some of the ideas presented in the reading.

Stage 1 Topic Selection

• A list of general topics related to food will be handed out. At the beginning you may not be sure what you’d like to research, so you will probably need to do some reading to determine what is interesting to you.

• When you decide on a potential topic, then you will write a general research question and a research proposal. Keeping in mind that as you learn more about your topic, your research questions will change.

A Research Proposal

The purpose of writing a research question and research proposal is to

explain what your research project will be why you want to investigate your topic what you already know about the issue what you need to learn what kinds of answers or solutions you seek

at this point.

Sources

A source is any material that supplies information about your topic.