ENG 110 - College Composition

As you engage in the research process, you will encounter the following major components.  

Though the order may differ from what's listed below, these are vital pieces of conducting sound research. 

• Select Topic
• Ask Questions / Inquiry
• Conduct Preliminary Research
• Gather & Evaluate Sources
• Freewrite
• Build Works Cited page
• Complete Draft
• Workshop Draft for Structure & Voice
• Revise & Refine Draft
• Finalize Paper for Submission

Visualizing Your Process

The major components fit into the process outlined below, which indicates that the process is not linear. You may find a few sources and interpret them, only to develop new questions which lead to other sources, etc. 

Original image location.

Step 1

• Start by developing a Research Question that requires an answer more complex than a simple yes / no.

Step 2

• First, pull out the most important keywords from your question. From above: Syria, migrant, crisis, challenge, immigration policies
   
• Next, determine what related terms you can use while searching, before you actually need them, so you don't get stalled as you begin.

Some terms will work more effectively in certain databases and not in others, which is why developing this list is key prior to beginning the search process.

Professors require different kinds of sources for each research project. Be sure you understand what's expected for your particular assignment. These are potential options, among others not listed.

Image adapted from http://www.virtuallibrary.info/research-process.html under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

For further information on common research projects, visit the "Gudies" page on this course guide.

The CARS evaluation rubric found under Guides > Evaluating Resources is a good choice for assessing whether or not to use a web site, an article, or any kind of resource that you find. We're also including the CRAAP checklist below for further questions to ask before selecting your sources.

http://webevaletec2012.weebly.com/craap-test-introduction.html