10 Ways to Get Started on a Research Paper*

 

1.  Browse for possible topics in...

·         current magazines & journals

·         newspaper web sites

·         article listings by subject in Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature (College Library Reference: AI 3 R22)

 

2.  Ask your instructor or TA for topic ideas & places to search for information

 

3. Brainstorm words related to your topic

 

4. Narrow or broaden your topic

http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/topic/index.htm

 

5. Look for overviews

·         Britannica web site 

http://search.britannica.com/search?adv&csid=eb (freely available)

·         Print general encyclopedias

·         Print specialized encyclopedias

 

6. Try keyword searches in ORION2 for books at UCLA libraries <http://orion2.library.ucla.edu/>

 

7. Use licensed databases for free through BruinOnline (BOL) <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/access/>

      OR   through the UCLA BOL Proxy Server <http://www.bol.ucla.edu/access/proxy/>

                       

                       

8. Use the Google search engine <http://www.google.com/> to identify popular web sites.

 M WARNING!  Popular sites are not necessarily the best. See “Thinking Critically About World 

            Wide Web Resources”: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm

 

9. Zero in on the best items

·         What’s it about—is it accurate & complete?

·         Who wrote it?

·         When was it written or published?

·         What’s the point of view?

 

10. Use a SEARCH LOG to keep track of what you’ve done.

 

 

*See also “Procedure for Writing a Term Paper”:  http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/termpapr.html

“What is an Academic Paper?” http://www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/student/ac_paper/what.html