Need some help getting started on a term paper? Overwhelmed by a big research project? These tips will help.

The key to starting any project is to break it down into steps. The steps listed here will help you complete a successful research project:

1. Define your task

	Know what your assignment is. Make note of any special criteria your instructor has set for length, scope, type of material, and so on.
	Choose your topic. A good topic is broad enough that you will find material, but narrow enough to fit the scope of your assignment. You may find it useful to phrase your topic as a clear but concise question.
	Identify key words and phrases. Write down several words or phrases that define your topic. You'll use these as keywords when you search for information, so be as precise as possible.

2. Determine what you need. Think about what kind of information sources you need.

	Background information. If you are having trouble focusing your topic or thinking of keywords, start in the Reference area and consult a general encyclopedia, or a special handbook or encyclopedia in your topic area. (Ask a librarian to help you locate some.) You probably won't be able to cite the encyclopedia in your final paper but you may find the background useful.
	Scholarly vs. popular sources. Scholarly books and journals are formal sources written by researchers and scholars to advance knowledge in a field. Popular sources, on the other hand, are magazines and newspapers written to entertain, persuade, or inform the general public. Most assignments require scholarly sources, so be sure you know what your instructor expects you to use.
	Primary vs. secondary sources. Primary sources are research articles or personal accounts created by people who actually conducted the research or observed the event. Secondary sources are interpretations written by someone else who didn't actually conduct research or observe events firsthand. Again, just be sure what your instructor expects.
	Books vs. articles. For many projects, you'll use both books and articles, but sometimes your instructor will specify that you must use one or the other. Remember that the Champlain Library has both books and articles in both print and online form.
	Quality vs. quantity. Sometimes when using online search tools, the result may be a list with hundreds of titles. This usually means that your search was not narrow enough. Instead of just using the first few titles on the list, run another search using additional search terms, more specific keywords, or narrower date ranges. Aim for fewer but better sources.

3. Find the information you need.

	Finding books. Use the online catalog to search for books by author, title, or keyword. (Hint: If you don't know the author or title, use Keyword searching. For Subject searching, you must know the exact Library of Congress Subject Heading for your topic, but for Keyword searching, you may enter any key terms about your topic.)When you use the online catalog to identify useful books, be sure to note the call number for each book, as well as its Location.
	In many fields, online books are also available. Champlain subscribes to over 30,000 online full-text books. They are listed in the online catalog, and will appear in your results list along with print titles. Champlain students and faculty may also borrow materials from some other local colleges; see the library website for details.
	Finding articles. Use the library's online databases to search for journal articles. (Watch for Search Tips within each database.) Many databases link directly to full-text journals, so you can read or print the entire article. Other databases contain only a citation for the article - its title, author, source, publication date, and sometimes an abstract of the content. For these articles, note all the citation information (you can print the citation), then consult the library catalog to see whether Champlain owns the journal you need. If you need articles that Champlain does not own, you may request articles through Interlibrary Loan.
	Taking good notes. As you read the information you find, take good notes. Be sure to note the source of the information at the time.

4. Evaluate the information. Before you accept and use information, examine it critically. This is particularly important if you are relying on information you found through unverified web search engines like Google or AskJeeves. When you examine the information, ask questions like these from the Ohio 5 Information Literacy Tutorial:

	Author: What are the author's credentials and background?
	Publication date: Is the date of publication appropriate for your topic? Do you need current or historical information?
	Publisher: Who is responsible for issuing the source? Is it a well-known trade publisher, a university press, an organization, an individual?
	Scope: What is the focus of the source? Does it report original work, synthesize research done by others, provide an introduction to a topic, give comprehensive information? Is it intended for a general audience or for specialists?
	Objectivity: Is the information fact or opinion? Is the author objective? Is the information presented in a balanced manner?
	Quality: Are the ideas clearly presented? Is the source well organized? Is the information valid, well-researched, and documented? (From the Five Colleges of Ohio Information Literacy Tutorial, available online at <http://www.denison.edu/ohio5/infolit/>).

5. Write (and cite!). Now you are ready to start writing your paper or producing your project. As you work, keep these points in mind:

	Consult the Writing Center. The Writing Center, located on the 3rd floor of the Miller Information Commons, provides a drop-in workshop environment staffed by a faculty advisor and students majoring in Professional Writing. They can help you improve your writing skills.
	Cite your sources. As you write your paper or work on your project, note the source of your information at the time you use it. This will save time later, since you won't have to go back and retrace your steps. You must cite the original source even if you do not quote it directly. Several style guides are available to help you format your citations.
	Write responsibly. Plagiarism is the act of stealing ideas and information or passing them off as your own. Don't be tempted. Remember, your instructor can probably track down plagiarized content very quickly using basic Internet searching tools.

6. Review your results. Stop and review your paper and project. Sometimes you will discover that you need more information to fill in a gap. Sometimes you will find that you need to reorganize parts of the project because it took a different direction than you anticipated. Save time to revise your draft - the result will almost always be better and stronger.

For more tips:

For more ideas about starting a research project, take a look at some of the following tools that other organizations have developed:

• Library Research Tutorial (from the University of New Mexico)

• Guide to Library Research (from Duke University)

• Five Colleges of Ohio Information Literacy Tutorial

• How to Write a Term Paper (from Thompson Corporation)

• Citation Styles (from Bedford/St. Martins)

The library also has a number of books that can help you get started. Stop by and take a look at:

Successful research papers in 12 easy steps, by Nell W. Meriwether.
Ref LB1047.3 .M56

Successful keyword searching : initiating research on popular topics using electronic databases, by Randall M. MacDonald and Susan Priest MacDonald.
Ref ZA4460 .M13 2001

The college student's research companion, by Arlene Rodda Quaratiello.
Ref Z710 .Q2

A research guide for undergraduate students: English and American literature, by Nancy L. Baker and Nancy Huling.
Ref PR56 .B16 2000