The Research Process
Researching is messy and you'll feel like you are going in circles sometimes, which is okay! There are a lot of steps to go through before you start writing your paper. This visualization can help you navigate your way through the process.
Paper Topic
Is There a Perfect Source?
“One Perfect Source?” YouTube. libncsu. NC State University, 2014.
Learning More About Your Topic
Once you have selected a topic, it is helpful to find additional background information. What to look for when learning more about the topic:
- Definitions
- Keywords
- Concepts
- Events, people, and key dates
- Facts surrounding the topic
If your topic is "what influence has hip-hop music had on fashion trends," what kinds of background information would you need to know in order to find resources to write your paper?
What is Mind Mapping?
It is also known as brainstorming, and is very useful for generating topics and keywords for your writing. You can create a mind map by hand using pen and paper, or find an online tool.
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowOver 600 reference books, including encyclopedias, dictionaries (English and foreign language), thesauri, books of quotations, as well as a range of subject-specific reference books.