Before you can begin researching your topic you need to brainstorm some possible search terms.
If you have trouble thinking up creative topics to write about (and most people do), start simple. Take out a piece of paper or open a new document on your computer, and start.
- Your title should relate to your topic.
- Don't use many words.
- Keep it simple, brief and attractive.
- Avoid abbreviations.
After you've identified a research topic, you should phrasing your topic in the form of a question to help you in find the most relevant information for your topic. A good research question also leads to a direct answer in the form of a thesis.
Some things to consider as you begin your research:
* What is your topic?
* Choose a topic that interests you
* Make sure you can find some information on it
* Choose & narrow your topic
* Write down all the ideas you can think of related to your topic and decide how you plan to address them in your paper.
* Make a list of general keywords related to your topic while you are doing your background reading
* Find and specific information to defend your research (Library Databases, Journals and Periodicals, Online Catalog and the Internet).
* Evaluate your research sources.
* Cite your sources.
- You will need to have at least 10, and no more than 20 sources for your research paper.
- Read article abstracts before deciding to use an article as a source
There are several types of research sources that can be found in ECAE library webpage including books, eBooks, articles for beginning your search:
At this stage, you should have a good idea of what your main points are. If you want some help with the writing process, you can schedule an appointment with the writing center :
It is very important to cite your information sources correctly in your paper,If you need help with referencing sources, please visit our referencing guide.