Six Unbeatable Research Tips

Six Unbeatable Research Tips Whether you’re starting in a library, a computer lab, or at home, there are certain how to make research guidelines you should follow. These guidelines are in place to make your life easier. As we said before, the more you participate in the research step, the more prepared you are to write a rough draft. 1. Use government and official websites This means â€Å".org† and â€Å".gov†. If you use a â€Å".com† website, you need to have proof that it holds valid information. Anyone can create a â€Å".com† address through WordPress, Weebly, or another platform for just twenty dollars a year. This hardly makes them reputable websites. While there are exceptions (you can always search for â€Å"authority† websites such as the New York Times or USA Today), â€Å".com† addresses are generally unacceptable for research papers and essay purposes. The same isn’t true for books. We don’t have a valid screening process for information found in printed media. One can argue that the cover of a book and the quality of its contents can probably speak to its accuracy, but it can’t be proven entirely. It also takes far less work to obtain a website address than it does to obtain a book. For this reason, professors are often harder on website URLs and their accuracy than the accuracy of published books. Also, never ever use Wikipedia for research projects or essays. Anyone can change the contents of a Wikipedia page, as long as they are familiar with the platform. Don’t fall into that trap. Your professor won’t accept it. 2. Record information and quotes as you find them Never write down a source without a specific quote that you want to use. If there’s more than one, make multiple references to that source. Organize this information on a separate document – or, more usefully, on index cards that can be easily rearranged. Number the index cards or mark them with a symbol. This symbol can mean that the index cards cover a certain subtopic (for example, a star might represent Barrack Obama during the 2008 election while a carrot might represent Hillary Clinton). It can also represent the paragraph of your essay in which the quote on the index card belongs. This system of reference will help you organize your paper before you begin the academic writing process. Also, keep in mind that you should write all of the information needed for a bibliography citation on the index card or document. This will avoid a second trip to the library. It will also ensure that you don’t have to drag any books or reference materials home. By the time you leave, you should have everything you need.