2.3.2 TOPIC RESEARCH

Research is the process of investigating and discovering facts related to the project topic. These facts are then selected and interpreted for inclusion into the project design and written report. You can make your research easier and more successful by following these guidelines:

make the research interesting by choosing a topic that you enjoy and want to learn more about;
budget your time wisely; and,
keep a list of all of the sources you use and credit them in your report.

There are two primary approaches to doing research: research on the Internet and research conducted in a school, public, or university library. You will want to utilize each of these approaches as you do the research for your project.

LIBRARY STARTING POINTS

Libraries have a range of services and resources for conducting research. You will need to become familiar with the specific ones available at your library. Libraries often provide help sheets and workshop classes to help you learn about the services available.

Library Facilities

The circulation desk is the center for most general library business: checking out books; renewing books; and, gaining access to special collections and various machines. In addition, you can ask for directions to find a book and check to determine whether a book is checked out or on reserve. It is a good place to start your search for a source or to get the current status of a source. The reference section contains bibliographies and indexes that help in the search for information. The card catalog is an alphabetical filing system of all of the library's resources listed by author, title, and subject. The Readers'Guide to Periodical Literature is an index which provides page numbers on specific articles in a periodical, newspaper, or book. Each of these indexes may provide a starting point for your research.

Computer Facilities

Most libraries have computer facilities that include: on-line public access catalogs (PAC), CD-ROM data bases, and on-line search services. Retrieval from these facilities may include bibliographic citations to journal articles and documents, and full text articles. On-line services provide computer access to numerous data bases. These searches are most useful when the research involves the relationship between two (or more) concepts or subjects. The computer can retrieve only those documents which contain both of the desired concepts. In addition to searching subject terms, the computer can also search for author names or for words in the titles and abstracts of the citations, locating items other wise difficult to find. Often, these facilities are available on a dial-in basis which enables you to access them from home or school.

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

The research process is accomplished in three phases:

preliminary search for any available sources on your topic;
browsing and skimming sources to narrow the topic; and,
reading and taking notes for information to be included in the project design and report.

Taking notes and outlining are tools that are beneficial while conducting research and writing the paper. Well defined research is built on carefully written notes. There are two different kinds of notes:

direct quotations for copying the sources exactly; and,
summaries or paraphrases to condense and rewrite the ideas of others.

Remember to include the author and the pages you used in writing your notes.

Outlining is a way of organizing your thoughts and sources as you discover them. It will make your research and writing logical and coherent. Follow the general form of introduction, body, and conclusion as you outline. The outline can be flexible as you refine your topic and discover sources.

EXERCISES

1. List the computer facilities available through your school library, a public library, and a local college or university library. Tell how you might use each of them while conducting research for your CLS project.
2. If any of the libraries you have access to have dial-in lines for their computer facilities, learn how to use them and describe the process in a brief report.
3. As you begin your research, maintain note cards and develop an outline for your project.