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Learn to deconstruct an assignment to its basic parts and identify appropriate resources to successfully complete it. Learn to develop an appropriate topic for a research paper. Generate effective search terms for Internet or database searching. Learn more about the services and resources the LCC Library offers through this tour of the Library website. This brief video introduces our database LearningExpress Library, where you can take practice tests, learn about software, write resumes, and more! Developing a Research Question When you begin preparing to write a research paper, one of the most useful things you can do is to develop a research question to guide you as you work. This sheet describes how. Generating Search Terms Provides a matrix to guide you as you brainstorm keywords and search strings to use in Library databases and other research tools. LCC Library Services for ESL and International Students Provides an outline of LCC Library services and resources that would be of particular interests to students in both the ESL and International Programs. LCC Library Services for Faculty Provides a brief description of Library services and resources for faculty members at LCC. LearningExpress Library LearningExpress Library helps students and adult learners improve the skills required for academic and career success. Write a resume, improve your academic or computer skills, or prepare for a placement or other standardized test. Library Vocabulary A list of library-related vocabulary words with their definitions. Especially useful for ESL or ABSE students. What's a Scientific Article? How to determine whether or not an article is reporting the findings of original scientific research. Why Do We Need Library Databases? Some students question the need for Library databases, thinking that they can find all the resources they need using a search engine like Google. This handout summarizes 7 good reasons why students need databases too. Wikipedia: The Good and the Ugly Everyone knows how useful Wikipedia can be when beginning a research project, but since anyone can edit the articles, it can be problematic for academic use. This handout outlines both "good" and "bad" academic uses of Wikipedia. Sometimes, our ideas make great sense to us, but don't translate clearly to others. Be How To Write A Research Introduction: 10 Steps (with Pictures) to ask others to evaluate your thesis statement before you begin your research process. This is a fail-safe. It will make sure that you don't fall down a rabbit hole. Show your thesis statement to your professor. If your professor wanted to you to focus on the political causes of the American Revolution, she might stop you from researching farmers. Research Paper Introduction Example: Tips On Writing would save you time in the long run. Identify primary sources/data sources. Depending on your project, you'll need to find ways of collecting information to back up your claims. If your paper is on a science topic, you'll need to set up an experiment and collect data from that experiment. If you are writing a history paper, you'll need to find primary sources (information produced during the time under investigation) that support your thesis statement. Primary sources can be found in a variety of locations. Begin Your Research are reprinted in primary source collections. Others can only be accessed in archives or libraries. For our paper on the role of farmers and the American Revolution, we might need to visit local archives and the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration to get the necessary documents. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the volume of research, see if your library has appointments with a research librarian. Librarians stay up to date with current trends in scholarship and can help guide your search. Take extensive notes. While you are performing your experiment or conducting research in an archive or a library, you'll want to create a detailed record of your findings. Take notes on a computer or using note cards. Include author, title, and publication information in your notes, so that you can type up a reference list at the end of your research paper. You can also use a program such as EndNote, RefWorks, or LaTEX to help you manage your citations. Create a note sheet of quotations that you may want to use in your research paper. It is better to gather more than you need at this point, since you will need evidence from reputable sources to support your thesis. Evaluate your sources. Do some research about the author, so that you can establish their credibility. Were your documents created by somebody with an obvious bias? Are your documents original or were they reproduced after the fact? Is the document complete? For web sources, use sources from peer-reviewed journals, government institutions and organizations, and public archives first. Blogs and other non-authoritative web sources are usually inappropriate for a research paper. Organize your notes. Put your notes/data in a logical order that backs up your thesis statement. Organize them so they flow from one to the next. For our imaginary project, it would be best to put your notes on quartered British troops before notes on farmer's revolutionary actions. Post was created by Essay Freelance Writers .