Original ResearchAlthough you'll probably conduct most of your research online or in the library, remember that there's a great deal of material you can find in laboratories, in courthouses, and in private archives. Consider the possibility of conducting some original research for your research paper. You can do this by interviewing knowledgeable people and devising and distributing questionnaires or surveys. This may be required in class, so always check with your instructor.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews allow you to conduct primary research and acquire valuable information unavailable in print and online sources. By including quotations from people who have direct knowledge of a particular subject, you add considerable authority and immediacy to your paper. You can conduct interviews by telephone, by e-mail, or in person.
Who should you interview? Include only respected people in the field. Don't waste your time with cranks and people with private agendas to further.
Also:
• Be sure to call and confirm the interview.
• Prepare a series of questions well in advance of the interview. The questions should all focus on your topic and the person's recognized area of expertise.
• After the interview, write a note thanking the person tor his or her time.
• Get the person's permission beforehand if you decide to tape-record or videotape the interview.
• Also obtain a signed release for the right to use their remarks on the record.
SURVEYS
Surveys are useful when you want to measure the behavior or attitudes of a fairly large group. On the basis of the responses, you can draw some conclusions. Such generalizations are usually made in quantitative terms: "Fewer than one-third of the respondents said that they favored further governmental funding for schools," for example. If you decide to create a survey, follow these guidelines:
• Be sure to get a large enough sampling to make your results fair and unbiased. Include at least 50 people, but more is better.
• Don't ask loaded questions that lead people toward a specific response. Be sure that your questions are neutral andunbiased.
• To get honest answers to your questions, it is essential to guarantee your respondents' anonymity. Written surveys are best for this purpose.
• Make the form simple and easy. Few people are willing to take the time to fill out a long, complex form.
• Carefully tabulate your results. Check your math.
In addition, many topics have been extensively discussed by experts on respected television news programs and documentaries. It is often possible to write to the television station and obtain printed transcripts of the programs. You might also be able to videotape the programs or borrow copies of the programs that have already been recorded. |
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Periodicals: Newspapers/Magazines and Journals
Periodicals include all material that is published on a regular schedule, such as weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, four times a year, and so on. Newspapers, magazines, and journals are classified as periodicals.
• Newspapers and magazines are aimed at a general readership.
• Journals are aimed at a technical audience.
Always locate the periodicals that suit your research needs. In university libraries or large community libraries, you locate periodicals in electronic databases. In some instances, you can get the complete article (called "full text"); in other cases, just the citation. Then you have to find the article in another database. A large university library will usually have more than 100 electronic databases and 30,000 full-text electronic journals.
Some of the most common periodical databases include the following:
• EBSCOhost
• Info Trac OneFile
• Image Collection
• General Reference Center Gold
• New York Times
• Newsday
• Newspaper Source
Warning!
Be sure that the database you're searching lists the kind of sources you want. For example, the Humanities Index likely doesn't include articles on mutual funds. For this topic, you should check the Business Index. If you look in the wrong index for your topic, you might erroneously conclude that the library doesn't have any material on your topic. |
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Useful Books to ConsiderA reference work is a compendium of information that you use to find a specific piece of information, rather than read cover to cover. Updated editions are published as needed, in some cases annually. In addition to specific books on your topic, here are some general reference sources to consider:
Encyclopedias. Some teachers will not let their students cite encyclopedias in their bibliographies, but that's no reason not to use them for background information. An encyclopedia can be an excellent way to get a quick, authoritative overview of your topic. This can often help you get a handle on the issues.
There are general encyclopedias (World Books, Britannica, Colliers, Funk and Wagnalls) as well as technical ones. The encyclopedias can be in print form or online.
Guide to Reference Sources. Published by the American Library Association, this useful guide has five main categories: general reference works; humanities; social and behavioral sciences; history and area studies; and science, technology, and medicine. The new editions include online sources as well as print ones. Another excellent reference guide is XReferplus, an online product that accesses more than 200 reference books online.
Who's Who in America. This reference work includes biographical entries on approximately 75,000 Americans and others linked to America. Who Was Who covers famous people who have died.
Almanacs. Almanacs are remarkably handy and easy-to-use reference guides. These one-volume books are a great source for statistics and facts. The World Almanac and The Information, Please Almanac are the two best known almanacs. They are updated every year.
Dictionaries. Complete dictionaries provide synonyms, antonyms, word histories, parts of speech, and pronunciation guides in addition to definitions and spelling. Depending on your topic, you may need to define all terms formally before you begin your research.
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Using Subject, Title, and Author Searches
There are three different ways that you can find the books you need:
• title search
• author search
Your topic determines how you search for a book. Since most research papers deal with topics and issues, you'll likely be searching by subject. However, it is often necessary to look under titles and authors as well. Consider all three avenues of finding information as you look through the card catalog. |
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Books are shelved alphabetically by first letter of the first line of the call number, then by the second letter, if any. Here is an example:
Book 1 В
792 .T51
Book 2 BF 198 .S2
Book 3 ВТ 1003 .M49
Book 4 HV 541 .P2
Book 5 HV 964 .A42
Book 6 HV 964 .A7
Because the Library of Congress system groups related topics together, you can often find unexpected but related avenues to pursue as you research. As a result, leave yourself enough time to browse the shelves as you gather books you need. In addition, many books are now available as e-books, electronic volumes.
Warning!
Unfortunately, library call numbers don't work like the Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature systems. There is no way to convert the call numbers in one system to the call numbers in the other system. This means that you cannot take the call numbers from a library that uses the Dewey classification system to a library that uses the Library of Congress classification system. You'll have to look the book up again if you work between two systems, so it's usually a good idea to pick one library system for books- either the public library system or the university/college library system. Within this system, you can use as many different libraries as you wish, of course.
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