The Research Process

A series of multi-colored gears showing the interconnectedness of the research processwith the steps listed below.
Figure 5.1 Gears represent the interactive aspects of the research process.

The first step towards writing a research paper is pretty obvious: find sources. Not everything that you find will be good, and those that are good are not always easily found.  Having an idea of what you’re looking for–what will most help you develop your essay and enforce your thesis–will help guide your process.

Example Research Process

A good research process should go through these steps:

  1. Decide on the topic.
    Black and white photo of a stack of books and textbooks with a vintage telephone.
    Image 5.1 Books, books, books …Do not start research haphazardly—come up with a plan first.
  2. Narrow the topic
  3. Conduct preliminary online research to get a sense of the topic and current issues.
  4. Create a question that your research will address.
  5. Conduct library research to gather scholarly sources. Evaluate sources to determine which are best for your argument.
  6. Create a bibliography as you gather and reference sources.
  7. Write your paper.

 

LICENSE AND ATTRIBUTION

Adapted from “Preliminary Research Strategies” from English Composition II  used under CC BY 4.0.

License

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UNM Core Writing OER Collection Copyright © 2023 by University of New Mexico is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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