Getting Started

For many students, the hardest part of writing a research paper is finding a topic. Because this website is designed for all students, grades 9-12, and there is a variety of topics that you could be assigned for this research paper, we're going to assume that you've already mastered the feat of finding a topic and you're ready to start writing.  However, if you have not yet accomplished that goal, please consult with your teacher for further assistance. 

Researching

There are several important things to remember when conducting research, but the most important advice is this: Find reliable, trustworthy sources.  Here's some notes on how to determine if a source is credible:
CARS
Teachers do not allow students to use information that comes from blogs, personal websites, or Wikipedia.  The best thing to do is to look for web addresses (called URLs) that end with .edu, .gov, or .org. The school also has a database of articles that are always safe to use and that is located on NC WiseOwl. Ask your teacher for the username and password to access this database from school and/or home. All of the articles in this database are considered appropriate for use. Other places to search for reliable information and sources include:
* Google Scholar - This is just for students and looks for articles.
* PubMed - This site is a good place to look for information about medical studies.
* CBS Find Articles - This site will help you find good articles.
* Questia - Online research site
* Directory of Open Access Journals - This site provides you access to journals.
* Free Scholarly Journals - This site will help you find some articles.
 
If it seems like the search is turning up the same articles over and over, refine or alter your search. This will require you to find synonyms for the words you are using. For example, if you are looking up information on gun safety and you can not find anything new on the topic, change your search to "weapons" and/or perhaps "education." Outwit the computer! Also remember that there are organizations and awareness groups for almost everything, and the members usually set up websites and have journals. For example, if you want to know more about hearing impaired individuals, simply go to the website for the A. G. Bell Association for the Deaf and look at the articles that are on its website.

When you start researching, do not forget that there are resources available to you other than the internet. Remember to look for DVDs, news clips, audio clips, documentaries, and books on your subject.  You can even interview people who are knowledgeable on your topic.  Whatever you opt you use, however, it must be cited on the Works Cited page, so remember to record the important information during the research process that will be needed for this page. You will always need the author, title, publication date, publisher, and city of publication. For more assistance, see the page on MLA help.
Purdue OWL


Note Taking

There are three basic ways to gather notes:

*Summary - Summarize large chunks of what you read by recording the general idea of the material. Remember to record the page numbers (if applicable) where you found the information.

*Paraphrase - Read the work and restate all of the material in your own words. Remember to record the page numbers.

*Quotation - If what the speaker or author said was important in the exact order that he or she stated it, record the sentence(s) word-for-word as a direct quotation. Remember to put quotation marks around the sentence(s) to remind you later that it is a direct quotation. If you copy and paste phrases from an article, you should put quotation marks around what you copied to remind yourself that it's a direct quote. Record the page numbers so that you will have them when completing the Works Cited page.

It is very important to know how to keep thorough records during the note taking process. Use this handout for guidance.
Annotated Bib

   
Cleveland High School's
Online Writing Lab