LSU Libraries - The Research Process

CONTENTS:
Introduction
Clearly define your topic
Collect/find information
Evaluate the information you find
Use and/or do something with the information
Use the information ethically and legally

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Once you have a topic and begin your research, you might find that at some point you want to refine your topic.

Are you overwhelmed by the amount of information available? You may need to narrow your topic.
Can't find enough information? You may need to broaden your topic.
How much time do you have? If your topic is just too much for you to do in the time allotted, choose another topic or narrow your current topic.
Are all the sources you need easily accessible (all on-hand), given interlibrary loan time limits, etc.
Maybe you ran across a particular aspect of your topic that really struck your interest and you want to focus on that.
How long is your paper supposed to be? If you are writing a short paper (5 pages) your topic will have to be more narrow than if you are writing a longer (20 page) paper.

Don't be discouraged if this happens. It's part of the process. Just revise your topic question, and re-think the terms you will search for.

Review Question:

What is the first thing you should do when given an assignment to write a research paper..

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 29-Aug-2007 16:46:56 CDT