Dwight Morrow High School Media Center

Student Resources - The Research Process

• Why do we have to do this?
  • You don't know everything so you must find answers.
• What do you want to know?
  • Ask questions to guide your research.
    • Who, What, Where, When, Why, How?
• Where do I find accurate answers?
  • Reference Books (Encyclopedias), authoritative web resources, journal articles and newspapers found in online databases.
• How can I tell if a web resource is authoritative?
  • Evaluation Criteria
• What next?
  • Gather information on index cards.
  • Be clear if you are directly quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing.
  • Keep track of your sources.
• What information do I need from my sources?
  • Books, Encyclopedias, etc. - Information is usually found in the first few pages.
    1. Title
    2. Author
    3. Place of Publication
    4. Name of Publishing Company
    5. Year of Publication
  • Web Sites - Information is often found in header, footer, or 'About' section.
    1. Title
    2. Author (Person or Company)
    3. Date Created/Published/Updated
    4. Date of Access (Today's Date)
    5. Web Address (URL or Database info)
• How do I begin writing?
  • Determine the purpose of your paper.
  • Formulate a thesis statement.
  • Make an outline to organize your ideas and guide your writing.
  • Write a draft and have it reviewed with feedback.
  • Revise and proofread your paper.
  • Help!
    • The Owl at Purdue
• Can I copy-and-paste the information into my paper?
  • Use your notes to help you write but do not copy-and-paste or rearrange the wording without an in-text citation. (See Learning to Cite.)
  • Avoid plagiarism; if it's not your idea show where you found it.
    • Plagiarism: What it is and how to recognize and avoid it
• What is a works cited/bibliography page?
  • This is where you document your sources. See Preparing a works Cited Section.
  • Follow the proper MLA format. See Using MLA Style to Cite and Document Sources
  • Most databases will create the citation for you.
    • Here are some citation generators:
      • Son of Citation Machine
      • NoodleTools

Return to the top of the page.