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Research: Where do I begin?

Summary:

We live in an age overflowing with sources of information. With so many information sources at our fingertips, knowing where to start, sorting through it all and finding what we want can be overwhelming! This handout provides answers to the following research-related questions: Where do I begin? Where should I look for information? What types of sources are available?

Before you begin your research, you should ask yourself some questions. These will help narrow your search parameters.

What kind of information are you looking for?

Do you want facts? Opinions? News reports? Research studies? Analyses? Personal reflections? History?

Where would be a likely place to look?

Which sources are likely to be most useful to you? Libraries? The Internet? Academic periodicals? Newspapers? Government records?

If, for example, you are searching for information on some current event, a reliable newspaper like the New York Times will be a useful source. Are you searching for statistics on some aspect of the U.S. population? Then, start with documents such as United States census reports. Do you want some scholarly interpretations of literature? If so, academic periodicals and books are likely to have what you’re looking for. Want to know about commercial products? Will those companies have Web sites with information? Are you searching for local history? Then a county library, government office, or local newspaper archive is likely to be the most useful.

How much information do you need?

How many sources of information are you looking for? Do you need to view both sides of the issue?

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Purdue OWL
General Writing
- General Writing Introduction
- The Writing Process
  - The Writing Process Introduction
  - Writing Task Resource List: What Do You Need To Write?
  - Invention: Starting the Writing Process
  - Prewriting (Invention)
  - Writer's Block
    - Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block
    - More Writer's Block Strategies
  - Stasis Theory
  - Creating a Thesis Statement, Thesis Statement Tips
  - Developing an Outline
  - Reverse Outlining
  - Proofreading
- Academic Writing
  - Academic Writing Introduction
  - The Rhetorical Situation
  - Establishing Arguments
  - Logic in Argumentative Writing
  - Paragraphs and Paragraphing
    - On Paragraphs
    - Paragraphing
  - Essay Writing
  - Conciseness
  - Paramedic Method
  - Reverse Paramedic Method
  - Adding Emphasis
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  - Common Writing Assignments Introduction
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    - Organizing an Exploratory Essay
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  - Dangling Modifiers and How To Correct Them
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- Grammar
  - Grammar Introduction
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    - Adjectives and Adverbs
    - Avoiding Common Errors
  - How to Use Adjectives and Adverbs
    - Adjectives with Count and Noncount Nouns
    - Adjective or Adverb?
  - Appositives
  - Articles: A versus An
  - How to Use Articles (a/an/the)
  - Prepositions
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  - Subject/Verb Agreement
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  - Active Verb Tenses
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    - Irregular Verbs
    - Commonly Confused Verbs
- Punctuation
  - Punctuation Introduction
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    - Punctuation Overview
    - Punctuation in Sentences
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  - Independent and Dependent Clauses
    - Independent and Dependent Clauses
    - Run On Sentences
  - Conquering the Comma Presentation
  - Commas
  - Apostrophe Introduction
  - Hyphen Use
  - Quotation Marks
- Visual Rhetoric
  - Visual Rhetoric Introduction
  - Visual Rhetoric
  - Analyzing Visual Documents
  - Using Fonts with Purpose
  - Color Theory Presentation
  - Designing Effective PowerPoint Presentations
  - Data Visualization
- Undergraduate Applications
  - Undergraduate Applications Introduction
  - Advice from Undergraduate Admissions Officers
  - Undergraduate Application Timeline and Additional Resources
- Graduate School Applications
- Personal Correspondence
- Community Engaged Writing
- Media File Index
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Research and Citation
- Research and Citation Resources
- Conducting Research
  - Conducting Research Introduction
  - Research Overview
  - Conducting Primary Research
  - Evaluating Sources of Information
  - Images
  - Internet References
  - Archival Research
- Using Research
  - Using Research Introduction
  - Writing with Statistics
  - Strategies for Fair Use
  - Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
  - Paraphrase Exercises
  - Avoiding Plagiarism
  - Writing Scientific Abstracts Presentation
  - Formatting in Sociology (ASA Style)
  - Resources for Documenting Sources in the Disciplines
    - Overview
    - Complete Discipline Listing
  - Citation Style Chart
- APA Style
- MLA Style
- Chicago Style
- AMA Style
Teacher and Tutor Resources
- Writing Instructors
  - Writing Instructors Introduction
  - Parents
  - Grades 7-12 Instructors and Students
  - Non-Purdue Users
  - Purdue Instructors and Students
  - Adult Basic Education
  - Writing Across the Curriculum: An Introduction
  - Creative Nonfiction in Writing Courses
  - Poetry in Writing Courses
  - Teaching Detailed Writing and Procedural Transitions
  - Teaching OSDDP: A Guide for Professional Writing Instructors
  - Email Etiquette for Professors
- Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students
- Writing Tutors
  - Writing Tutors Introduction
  - Purdue Writing Lab Quick Tour
  - Meeting One-on-One with Students
  - Tutoring a Résumé
  - Tutoring Cover Letters
  - Tutoring Creative Writing Students
  - Tutoring Lab Reports
  - Tutoring Grammar
  - Tutoring Deaf Clients
- Teaching Resources
- Preventing Plagiarism
- Translingual Writing
- Writing in the Engineering Classroom
Subject-Specific Writing
- Professional, Technical Writing
  - Professional, Technical Writing Introduction
  - Workplace Writers
  - Effective Workplace Writing
  - Audience Analysis
  - Prioritizing Your Concerns for Effective Business Writing
    - Higher Order Concerns
    - Lower Order Concerns
  - Parallel Structure
  - Activity and Postmortem Reports
  - Tone in Business Writing
  - HATS: A Design Procedure for Routine Business Documents
  - Basic Business Letters
    - The Basic Business Letter
    - Sample Letters
  - Accentuating the Positives
  - Memos
  - Four Point Action Closing
  - Grant Writing
  - Donation Request Letters
  - Technical Reports & Report Abstracts
    - Writing Report Abstracts
    - Reports, Proposals, and Technical Papers
  - White Papers
  - Revision in Business Writing
  - Business Writing for Administrative and Clerical Staff
- Writing in Literature
  - Writing in Literature Introduction
  - Literary Terms
    - Literary Terms
  - Literary Theory and Schools of Criticism
  - Writing About Fiction
  - Writing About Literature
  - Writing in Literature (Detailed Discussion)
  - Writing About Poetry
  - Image in Poetry
  - Poetry: Close Reading
  - Writing about World Literature
    - Writing about World Literature
    - Thesis Statement PowerPoint
- Writing in the Social Sciences
  - Writing in the Social Sciences Introduction
  - Social Work Literature Review Guidelines
  - Writing in Psychology: Experimental Report Writing
- Writing in Engineering
  - Writing in Engineering Introduction
  - Writing Engineering Reports
  - Handbook on Report Formats
  - Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)
  - INDOT Workshop Resources for Engineers
  - Mechanical Engineering Writing Enhancement Program
- Creative Writing
  - Creative Writing Introduction
  - Fiction Writing Basics
  - Pattern and Variation in Poetry
  - Pattern and Variation: Aural
  - Pattern and Variation: Visual
    - Visual Patterning
    - Visual Variation, Exercises
  - Characters and Fiction Writing
  - Poetry Writing
    - Poetry Writing: Invention
    - Poetry Invention Exercises
  - Creative Nonfiction
    - Overview of Creative Nonfiction
    - Sub-genres of Creative Nonfiction
  - Professional Resources for Creative Writers
- Healthcare Writing
  - Healthcare Writing Introduction
  - Medical Journalism
  - SOAP Notes
  - Patient Education Materials
  - Writing as a Veterinary Technician
  - Writing as a Professional Nurse
- Journalism and Journalistic Writing
- Writing in the Purdue SURF Program
- Writing in Art History
Job Search Writing
- Preparing an Application
  - Preparing an Application Introduction
  - Tailoring Employment Documents For a Specific Audience
  - Tips and Terms
  - Writing the Personal Statement
  - Job Skills Checklist
  - Action Verbs to Describe Skills, Jobs, and Accomplishments in Employment Documents
    - Action Verbs
    - Action Verbs List
  - Example Employment Documents
- Job Search Letters
  - Job Search Letters Introduction
  - Letters Concerning Employment
  - Model Letters for Various Purposes
  - Cover Letters 1: Quick Tips
  - Cover Letters 2: Preparing to Write a Cover Letter
  - Cover Letters 3: Writing Your Cover Letter
  - Cover Letters Workshop
  - Academic Cover Letters
    - Academic Cover Letters
    - Academic Cover Letter Sample
- Résumés and CVs
  - Résumés and CVs Introduction
  - Introduction
  - Résumé Sections
  - Using Two Pages or More
  - Scannable Résumés
    - Introduction
    - General Guidelines
  - Résumé Design
  - Scannable Résumés Presentation
  - Management Résumés
  - Résumé Workshop
  - Reference Sheets
  - Writing the Curriculum Vitae
  - Sample Résumés
  - Résumés for Military Veterans
- Video Résumés
English as a Second Language
- ESL Instructors, Tutors
  - ESL Instructors, Tutors Introduction
  - ESL Orientation for Writing Lab Tutorials
  - ESL Teacher Resources
    - ESL Teacher Resources
    - Code Switching
  - ESL Instructors and Students
- ESL Students
  - ESL Students Introduction
  - US Higher Education: A Local Introduction
    - A "Local" Introduction
    - Maintaining Lines of Communication
  - Tips for Writing in North American Colleges
  - Plagiarism and ESL Writers
  - Writing for Global Business Audiences: An Introduction
  - Writing for an Indian Business Audience
    - Writing for an Indian Business Audience
    - Writing for an Indian Business Audience: Samples
  - Writing for a Chinese Business Audience
  - Understanding Writing Assignments
  - Writing for a North American Business Audience
  - Key Concepts for Writing in North American Colleges
  - Audience Considerations for ESL Writers
  - Combining Sentences
  - Nominalizations and Subject Position
  - Prepositions
  - Pronouns
  - Punctuation
  - Paraphrasing and Summary
About the OWL
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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.