This document provides guidance on conducting academic research for an English 100 assignment. It instructs students to choose a topic and prepare a search strategy by defining the topic as a question or statement and brainstorming related concepts. The document emphasizes being flexible when searching and encourages students to get help from librarians in person, by phone, or via chat. It notes that scholarly dialogue is ongoing and students can join by reading expert writings, thinking critically about ideas and connections, writing about them with citations, and choosing topics they are curious about to follow in their research.
3. Instead of searching, why not find?
ENGLISH 100
Join the academic conversation.
Scholarly dialogue is ongoing. Join by:
• Reading what experts in the field have written
• Thinking about the ideas & connections
• Writing about these ideas & connections,
• including quotes and paraphrasing with citations
4. ENGLISH 100
Choose your topic. Presearch the topic for more info.
Prepare a search strategy.
Read and understand your assignment instructions.
Start researching.
Think about what you’ve read. Go deeper.
Write the assignment, including citations as you go.
Walk away. Wait. Come back and revise.
Plan Your Assignment
6. Instead of searching, why not find?
ENGLISH 100
a. Length, formatting, writing style
b. Citation style
c. Acceptable resources
d. Due date
Read and understand your assignment
instructions.
Can you explain the
task to a friend
in your own words?
16. KEYS TO DETERMINING AN ACADEMIC SOURCE
• Where did you find it? A Library database or the open
web?
• What is the source – a peer-reviewed journal, an
academic journal, a newspaper, a magazine, or a
website?
• Does it have references (citations)?
• Who is the author? What are their credentials?
• What is the writing style? Does the writing read like it
was written for a scholarly, popular or business
audience?
• What is the purpose of the article – to make an
argument/propose a new theory or to give general
background information about the topic? Can you find a
thesis statement?
17. Choose your topic.
Presearch for info about the topic.
Fill in the blank:
Students almost always
choose a topic that is
too ________.
Hint:
18. Choose and define your topic.
How can I define my topic?
• Presearch for more info,
including subtopics and
controversies
• What aspects of the
topic are you curious
about?
• Follow your research:
use what you find
20. Instead of searching, why not find?
ENGLISH 100
Prepare a search strategy.
• Small effort, big gain.
• More effective & efficient searching.
• Leave your brain free for the tough stuff.
• Give yourself options when your keywords are bust.
Searches are free…
Try more than one.
21. Instead of searching, why not find?
ENGLISH 100
Prepare a search strategy.
1. Write down your topic:
safe-injection sites
How can we better define
& focus this topic?
22. Instead of searching, why not find?
ENGLISH 100
Are safe-injection sites good for
our city?
Prepare a search strategy.
1. Write down your topic as a question or a statement:
2. Circle the main concepts in each question.
23. Are safe-injection sites good for our city?
3. Brainstorm synonyms, related concepts,
broader and narrower terms – write them
down, add to the list.
Safe-injection sites good Our city
How can you show what good
means in this question?
24. Now you’re ready to:
Start Researching!
www.capilanou.ca/library
25. Research Guide = Portal to Success
•Follow an assignment plan
•Suggested starting points
•Resource tips
•Subject Guides
•Topic Guides
Start Researching
26. The first rule of research:
BE _____________.
If a search doesn’t get results,
modify, adapt, try elsewhere.
Ask for HELP!
FLEXIBLE
Searches are free…
Try more than one.
Notes de l'éditeur
1. What is your experience in doing research?
2. On a scale of 1 (not) to 5 (very), how confident are you at doing research? Why?
3. Where do you go to do research?
Research is finding out what scholars are talking about, then discussing those findings.
Assignment planning is key. Know that research takes time – and plan ahead.
How much time is reasonable for each step?
Leave time to be able to ask questions – where can you go for help?
Assignment planning is key. Know that research takes time – and plan ahead.
How much time is reasonable for each step?
Leave time to be able to ask questions – where can you go for help?
Open class question: What do you need to look for – what is the most important information in the instructions?
On click:
Length, formatting, writing style
Citation style
Acceptable resources
Due date
On click: Can you explain the task to a friend [with image]
Pairwork: organize into 2 groups
What would you label the groups
Discussion: government resources – are they academic?
Some are research, some are not
Might not count towards “academic resources”, ask your instructor
Yes – listed as academic in the db (when you click on the journal title)
No – look more like social history/advocacy; no references
Very likely – U press, references, title is serious. Look at language and credentials
Yes? College press, references, literarture review, etc.
Should look at the language and the credentials of the author – when in doubt, ask the instructor
Yes – listed as academic in Db
No – news aricle
Point out language – written for a popular audience
Yes - Harder to tell in Google Scholar – click through and it looks better, but still you’d have to investigate journal
No, but the original research might be. Could use the stats but this would not count for an academic resource
Pairwork: make a list of criteria that help you determine if a source is popular or not.
Open class question.
Search credo: safe-injection NOTE: this is a bad search but gives a good example of Credo’s limitations.
Search: drug addiction
Search wikipedia: drug addiction
Wikipedia warnings!