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Help for Students>How to Do Research
How to Do Research
The following are some tips that might be useful in preparing to write a research paper, give a speech, or prepare a project on Vietnam or the Vietnam War.
Selecting
a Topic
When selecting a topic, it is important that it be limited enough so that
it is manageable to work with in terms of the requirements of the assignment,
the resources available, and the time frame within which the work must be
done. So some preliminary research is necessary to determine what sub-topic
is of interest and for which there will be adequate, readily available information.
Included here are suggestions of possible topics relating to Vietnam and the
Vietnam War that might be useful in topic selection or in limiting a topic.
For suggestions on subjects relating to Vietnam or the Vietnam War, see
Paper/Speech Topics.
Interlibrary
Loan
The books and
periodical articles cited on this website are available in most good-sized
libraries in the United States. However, with the cost of books and space
considerations, it is not possible for every library to have every book.
Most libraries will offer Interlibrary Loan as a service for patrons whereby
the librarian can order a book or periodical article from another library.
It usually takes a week or longer for a requested item to arrive, so it
is important that research on a topic be done early in an assignment in
order for requested information to arrive before the assignment's due
date. See also,
How To Find Out of Print Books and Locate
Your Local Public Library's Web Site.
Searching
for Information
More information
on any topic may be found by searching databases.
- There are many search engines on the World Wide Web. Some are directories and provide broad general information, like Yahoo, some are more complex and facilitate combining search terms, like Alta Vista, and some specialize in Asian sites, such as ASIACO, Globe Page, or Orientation. It is a good idea to search more than one search engine. Two good search engines for academic research are Google and Teoma. See also Vivisimo, a clustering search engine, and the Internet Search Engine Database.
- Each
search engine on the Web searches its own way and each will have instructions
on the main page on how to effectively search that particular search engine.
General information on how to search databases can be found at Tips
on Searching for Information.
Google is an especially useful search engine. See also Google Scholar. To improve your Google searches, see, Google Cheat Sheet. - For a tutorial on searching, see Finding Information on the Internet--A Search Tutorial. About.com also has some good basic information on searching. See:
Basic
Boolean Searching (and see Boolean Searching)
Basic
Search: Add and Subtract
Common
Search Mistakes
Developing
a Search Plan
Finding What You Need with
the Best Search Engines
Generic
Search Tips
Make
A Custom Search Page
Search
Starters
Searching
for Phrases
What
is this Search Stuff, Anyway?
- Like any specialized topic, searching has its own language. To provide information on terms used by search engines see:
- Also consider searching news sources on the Web--newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations--for current information, and, in some cases, archived articles. The websites of The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, CNN, and Time magazine are good examples. Many Asian newspapers are also available on the Web. See also: The World News Network and WN.com.
- Most
libraries today have online databases available. Some of these databases
are even full-text. Ask your school or public librarian what is available
and how to use them. Also ask if any other databases are available that
only the librarian can search. Ask about the availability of Dialog, CARL,
and FirstSearch. See also: Freely
Accessible Databases for the Public.
- See:The
Ten Commandments of Internet Searching
Educational
Search Resources
Finding What You Need with
the Best Search Engines
Glossary
for Information Retrieval
Glossary
of Internet & Web Jargon
How to Search
the Web
Modern
Information Retrieval Glossary
Search Engine Dictionary
Search Engine
Glossary
Search Engine
Showdown Glossary
Search Engine
Terms
Search
Terms Glossary
SearchEngineWorld Glossary
Reference
Librarians
Ask reference
librarians for help. They are experts at finding information.
Evaluating
Information
When using
information found in books, periodicals, and, especially, on the Web or
the Internet, is is important to evaluate the information provided. See
Evaluating Web Sites. Most of the information included
there can be applied to books and periodicals as well. Most materials
that are available in libraries have already gone through an evaluation
process before they were purchased for the library. Websites, however,
must be self-evaluated. See
also: How
Do I Identify Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources? and How
to Distinguish Between Primary and Secondary Sources.
Citing
Information
If a bibliography
or footnotes are required, the proper form for citing information will
be needed. Many sources provide information on Citing
Electronic Information. Many other sources, such as the MLA Handbook,
are available for citing print or audio-visual sources and can be found
in local libraries and bookstores. Be sure to ask the instructor which
form is preferred or rquired for the assignment. See also: SourceAid
Copyright and Plagiarism
Be careful to observe copyright regulations
and to avoid plagiarism. The following are
some simple copyright rules to follow:
If you didn't create it or obtain rights, you don't own it.
-
If you don't own it, you can't copy or distribute it.
-
The author or owner must explicitly relinquish rights for a work to be placed in the public domain.
-
Fair use allows copying of small portions of a work without the owner's permission for criticism, education, and news reporting.
-
When in doubt, ask for permission to use a work.
Coursework Assistance
And finally, the following is a list of websites that can be useful to students
in preparing assignments:
Academic Info: Your Gateway to Quality Internet Resources
A+ English Edit
A+ Research and Writing
Ask An Expert
B. J. Pinchbeck's Homework Helper
Common Errors in English
Conducting Research on the Internet
Controlling Procrastination
Comprehensive Online Research Education (CORE)
Documents in the News
Elements of Style
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia.com
Fields of Knowledge
Find Tutorials
The Free Dictionary
Global Study Hall
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Hot Paper Topics
Info Zone
Infography
Internet Public Library
iTools
Library Research: A Hypertext Guide
Life Beyond Yahoo: Finding Information on the WWW
The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing
Online Encyclopedias and Resource Sites
Online Newspapers
Online Writing Lab (Purdue University)
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
Reading, Writing and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students
Research-Buzz
Research-It!
Ready Reference
Research, Reports and Presentation Links
Researchpaper.com
The 10 Habits of Highly Effective Surfers
SourceAid
Sources of Reference Information
A Student's Guide to Research with the WWW
Study Guides & Strategies
Tutor2000
Tutorials Directory
The Virtual Reference Desk
The World Lecture Hall
Writing & Style Guides
Writing Argumentative Essays
Tips, Tools & Ideas to Improve Your Writing
--Sandra M. Wittman
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