See the CARS Checklist for Information Qualityfor tips on evaluating the authority and quality of the information you have located. Check the Internet Resources section of the NHCC Library web site for helpful subject links. Use search engines ( Google, Yahoo, etc.) and subject directories to locate materials on the Internet. Many of the articles in the databases are available in full-text format. Choose the databases and formats best suited to your particular topic ask at the librarian at the Reference Desk if you need help figuring out which database best meets your needs. Use the library's electronic periodical databases to find magazine and newspaper articles. The Aleph catalog also indexes the library's audio-visual holdings. When you locate the book on the shelf, look at the books located nearby similar items are always shelved in the same area.

Print or write down the citation information (author, title,etc.) and the location (call number and collection) of the item(s). A Keyword search can be performed if the subject search doesn't yield enough information. If you are looking for books, do a subject search in One Search. There are a number of places you can look for information: With the direction of your research now clear to you, you can begin locating material on your topic. You may find it necessary to adjust the focus of your topic in light of the resources available to you. Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings. Look up your keywords in the appropriate titles in the library's Reference collection (such as encyclopedias and dictionaries) and in other sources such as our catalog of books, periodical databases, and Internet search engines. Step 2 : Do a preliminary search for informationīefore beginning your research in earnest, do a preliminary search to determine whether there is enough information out there for your needs and to set the context of your research. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the epidemic of obesity in the American population, you might pose the question 'What are the causes of obesity in America ?' By posing your subject as a question you can more easily identify the main concepts or keywords to be used in your research. Once you have identified your topic, it may help to state it as a question. Still can't come up with a topic to write about? See your instructor for advice.Stand out from your classmates by selecting an interesting and off-the-beaten-path topic. Your instructor reads hundreds of research papers every year, and many of them are on the same topics (topics in the news at the time, controversial issues, subjects for which there is ample and easily accessed information). If you find too much information, you may need to narrow your topic if you find too little, you may need to broaden your topic.

Do a preliminary search of information sources to determine whether existing sources will meet your needs. Select a topic for which you can find a manageable amount of information.The research for and writing of a paper will be more enjoyable if you are writing about something that you find interesting. Select a topic of personal interest to you and learn more about it.Failure to work within these guidelines may result in your proposed paper being deemed unacceptable by your instructor. Many times your instructor will give you clear guidelines as to what you can and cannot write about. Select a topic within the parameters set by the assignment.Here are some tips for selecting a topic: Since this is the very first step in writing a paper, it is vital that it be done correctly. Selecting a topic can be the most challenging part of a research assignment. Depending on your familiarity with the topic and the challenges you encounter along the way, you may need to rearrange these steps. The following steps outline a simple and effective strategy for writing a research paper.

Research paper outline