English

Resist the temptation to start researching immediately!
Don't waste your time diving into research until you know what the assignment requires.

• Is it a report?
• Is it an analytical paper?
• Is it an argumentative essay?

You need to know before you begin! The type of assignment will determine what kind of research you need to do, and how you need to organize and present that research in your paper. Even an "A" quality report can earn an "F" if the assignment is to write an argumentative essay.

Consider the differences in these assignments:

Basic Report
Pretty easy. You'll simply have to find information on your topic and present it as it appears.

Analytical Paper
A little harder. You'll have to explore multiple aspects of your topic and present your research findings objectively without attempting to persuade the reader to take a stand.

Argumentative Paper
You'll have to take a "stand" on a particular issue in your topic and use your research to support your argument.

Examples (papers on tattooing):

Report: This paper will explore the history of tattooing in the United States.

Analytical paper: This paper will explain differences in attitudes toward tattooing in the 1960s and 1990s.

Argumentative paper: This paper will argue that tattoos present serious health risks to adolescents.

There are databases designed specifically to assist with argumentative papers, persuasive speeches, and any essay in which you must present both sides of a topic. They include Opposing Viewpoints and Points of View Reference Center.

Choose your topic as carefully as you would choose someone you wanted to date. Would you enjoy dating someone who was dull, annoying, or had totally different interests from you? Then why spend a few days, weeks, or even months with a topic you don't like - only to be graded on it?

Topics don't have feelings, but you do, so try to choose something that interests you. Even if your professor assigns you a topic, you can choose an aspect of that topic that interests you.

Explore topics using PPSC Learning Commons resources:

All the time and effort you put into researching is wasted unless you can focus on what you need. How do you do that? By establishing a working thesis statement. Plan to revise it several times as you learn more about your topic.

A working thesis statement helps you concentrate on what you want and ignore information that is irrelevant. Consider the following working thesis statement:

Profilers have played a necessary role in catching serial killers.

Using this statement for a paper allows you to skip over the sources:

• that do not deal with profiling.
• that do not deal with the apprehension of serial killers.
• that deal only with the injustices of "racial profiling."

A good working thesis statement saves you time and keeps you focused.

Avoiding Poor Thesis Statements

It is important not only to have a thesis statement, but to have a good one. An inadequate thesis statement is almost as bad as not having one at all.

Below is an example of a thesis statement you'll want to avoid - because this type of statement will lead to weak papers with poor grades:

Man has had a major impact on the environment. 

WHY UNSUITABLE?

• Way too vague and broad.
• What constitutes "major impact"?
• What aspects of the environment are we talking about?
• What century are we talking about?

Forming Your Research Question

A good working thesis statement can often be converted into a question, which is typically called your research question. Consider ths example:

Working thesis statement: Younger basketball players "turning pro" continue to ruin the quality of the NBA.

Research question: How have younger professional basketball players ruined the quality of the NBA?

Notice that this question can not be answered with a simple "Yes" or "No". The "quest" of your research efforts is to find sources that answer your research question.

Some topics may be too current or too obscure for coverage in academic journals. Or you may find too many articles to wade through if your research question is broad. Be flexible with your topic, thesis statement, and research question. Revising them early in the process based on what you DO find will save you time in the long run.

Let's wrap up the process of investigating:

Plan! Plan! Plan!   You will save time and effort if you do.

Not all papers are created equal.    Examine each assignment carefully and pick research resources accordingly.

Be flexible.    If you feel as if you are spinning your wheels, re-evaluate your topic, thesis, or research question and revise if necessary

LOGGING INTO THE DATABASES:
If you are off campus, or accessing from certain devices, you will need to click on the Colorado Community Colleges Login then enter your S# and password.

Search tips:

• Use KEYWORDS, not phrases, that describe your topic. 

Example, if you chose “What is cultural appropriation and how is it different than cultural appreciation?” and wanted to focus on the Native American culture, you could use the Academic Search Complete database, Advanced search function, and enter search terms: Cultural Appropriation in the first search box and Native American in the second. Typically, you want to put the broadest term in first and then use the other boxes for terms to narrow your search. 

• Always click the FULL TEXT box to limit your search to only articles that you have full text access to, otherwise you may only get an abstract or summary. You can also choose the peer-reviewed box.
• Always use the ADVANCED SEARCH so that you can enter multiple keywords
  
• Use the "Refine Results" tools 
  • Publication Date: Please give yourself at least 10 years - the peer review process takes time and few happened during COVID years.
  • Subject - choose the subjects that specifically relate to what you are looking for within your topic (select "show more" to get the full list).
  • Source (or Content) Type - If you are given the option to click a peer reviewed box, it will already limit source type but if not, you may want to choose academic journals if you need peer reviewed articles. 
  • FULL TEXT or "Content I can access" should always be selected, if it is not please select it.