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1. RESEARCH IS A PROCESS – use the BIG6 Skills!
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2. BOOKS – use a variety of sources!
When you are researching and looking for good sources to include in a research paper, don’t forget to include books! There are many advantages to using books as sources.
- The majority of useful information is just not available on the Internet.
- It is easy to determine who is responsible for the information (the author) and what his or her credentials are.
- It is easy to determine if the publisher has a good reputation.
- Books include in-depth analysis of a subject.
- Books have gone through a detailed editing process.
To find a book in a library, use the library’s online catalog, powered by Atriuum. The Bishop Dunne Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) allows you to search the Bishop Dunne Library’s book collection anywhere you have an Internet connection. You can also access the OPAC from the Bishop Dunne homepage.
3. ONLINE DATABASES – know the passwords!
You will need usernames and passwords to access these databases from your home computer or any computer with Internet access. You do not need these usernames and passwords if you are working on a school computer. The information in these databases is very reliable, unlike much of the information you will find on the Internet. This is the best way to locate periodical articles (magazine, journal, and newspaper articles) on a particular subject. You will also find many other types of sources within them such as books, reference books, multimedia, primary sources, timelines, etc.
Look at the Pages section under ONLINE DATABASES in the right-hand margin. You will have the opportunity to search multiple databases simultaneously or individual databases separately. Usernames and passwords can be found HERE (ask in the Library for the access password to this document).
For further instruction on how to use the online databases, go to BD Online Resources.
4. GOOGLE – try something different!
Google is a great search engine, but it is not the only one and it is not always the best one when trying to find useful web sites for a research paper. Try using several different search engines and subject directories listed down below and also under the Research Tools section in the right-hand margin.
SEARCH ENGINES
Metacrawler.com (meta-search engine)
Dogpile.com (meta-search engine)
SUBJECT DIRECTORIES
5. INTERNET – evaluate, evaluate, evaluate!
When you go out on the Internet to search for sources, please be aware that you will need to carefully evaluate each web site before you use it as a source of information for your academic paper. It is up to you to look at web sites with a critical eye to determine if the author is an expert, if the information is reliable, if the information is current, etc. There are specific questions you should ask yourself about each web site you consider as a source.
Click HERE for a post that includes lists of questions to use when evaluating web sites. It also includes list of web sites that on the surface may look like professional, quality sources of information, but in reality include false or inaccurate information and hidden agendas.
6. WIKIPEDIA – do not use as a source!
Do not use Wikipedia as a source for an academic paper! Reason #1 : Encyclopedias are to be used for background info only. If you don’t have enough initial information about a topic to do a thorough search for reliable sources, use an encyclopedia to find possible keywords or phrases related to the topic. Reason #2 : Wikipedia is an online project that anyone can add to and edit. For academic papers, you should be able to verify the credentials of all of the authors of your sources.
7. PRINTING – look before you leap!
Before you print out an online database article, pages from a web site, a document, or ANYTHING, please click on PRINT PREVIEW to see what it will look like on the printed page. Many times, especially with online database articles and some web sites, it is necessary to click on a separate PRINT option on the screen, before going through the usual File:Print process. Save some trees and just print what you need!
One more thing: Ask for help if your print job doesn’t go through instead of clicking on PRINT multiple times.
8. MLA – avoid plagiarism!
The MLA format is what you follow when writing a research paper and citing your sources in your Works Cited page. It is a very detailed format. The sooner you learn how to use this format, the better, because you will continue to use it for each research paper during your high school career and later on in college as well.
If you use the “intellectual property” of another person, you must give that author/creator credit or you will be guilty of plagiarism. Intellectual property is any original product created from a person’s intellect/mind, including but not limited to words, ideas, and images. You may paraphrase in your own words or quote directly, but either way you must give the original author credit by using the MLA format of parenthetical notation within your paper and a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. Avoid plagiarism at all costs!
For more information on MLA citation, you can look at the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. This web site of Purdue’s writing center provides examples and tips for the MLA 7th edition. Go to OWL at Purdue. You may also go to MLA Library Handout (revised 7th ed.).
9. Research takes time. Don’t wait until the last minute!
10. Ask questions, if you don’t understand!
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