Research HELP

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Help with Research

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For assistance in choosing topics and organizing research papers try some of these websites. Also, contact a librarian for assistance and suggestions. Stop by, email or call us at 804-862-6227.

Adobe^® reader is required to view many of the documents on this website. You can download a free copy.

Selecting a Paper Topic:

Narrowing your paper topic — This site provides some helpful tips on how to focus your topic so you can more easily do research.

Sample Paper Topics:

Argumentative Essay Topics — This site provides a list of topics, websites, and questions for further study.
Debatabase: The Online Debate Topic Database — This site includes a list of controversial topics along with pros & cons for each topic.
Hot Paper Topics — This site called "Best Information on the Net" is from O'Keefe Library at St. Ambrose University. It is very helpful for choosing a topic and also for locating evaluated websites on many topics. Particularly useful for current events.
Hot Paper Topics — This site from the Northwest Missouri State Library provides a list of topics and rudimentary thesis statements.
"Hot" Religious Topics — This site provides a list of current religious and moral controversies.
Possible Research Topics and Questions — This list was compiled by RBC student Christine Woodman in Ms. Duckworth's English 200 class.
Sample Research Topics — This site provides a list of research topics for students.
Social Issues in America: An Encyclopedia (Table of Contents) — Multi-volume encyclopedia is available in READY REFERENCE: HN57 .S624 2006.

RBC Library Guides to Research — Guides/handouts with colorful screen shots created by the RBC library staff:

RBC Online Tutorial: A Ten-Step Guide to Research — A brief, but useful guide to writing a research paper.
General Research Guide
Guide to Accessing Articles with P Values
Guide to Finding Editorials
Guide to Finding Biology-Related Articles from Newspapers
Guide to Finding Resources on Measure for Measure
Guide to Finding Resources on Shakespeare's Plays
Guide to Literature Resources

Research Papers: Tips & Techniqes for Writing a Paper —

OWL at Purdue: Handouts — Purdue University's Online Writing Lab publishes handouts on writing and research process.
Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog — This site contains an abridged edition of a textbook that covers the entire research process in-depth.

Analyzing Scholarly Research

Independent and Dependent Variables — Sample exercises from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania illustrate differences between independent and dependent variables as well as experimental and control groups.
Qualitative Versus Quantitative — University of Connecticut professor explains the difference between qualitative and quantitative research.
What are Dependent and Independent Variables? — National Center for Education Statistics explains the difference between dependent and independent variables.

Citing your Research Paper:

• APA — See also sample papers from the APA website, Frequently Asked Questions about APA Style, and APA's online tutorial: Basics of APA Style.

• MLA

• Chicago/Turabian — Also, look at the Turabian Quick Guide. The entire Turabian Manual for Writers is on reserve in the library.

• Zotero — Free online citation manager available through the Firefox web browser.

Avoiding Plagiarism:

Academic Integrity Tutorial / RBC Council on Academic Intregrity — Learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.
Avoiding Plagiarism / UC Davis — Overview of plagiarism along with tips for avoiding it.
Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism: Documentation and Guidelines / Duke University
Plagiarism: A Guide for Students / Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University — Overview of plagiarism along with tips for avoiding it.
Plagiarism & Academic Integrity at Rutgers University — View online scenarios which demonstrate how to conduct effective research and avoid plagiarism.
The Plagiarism Quiz / Paul Robeson Library, Rutgers University — Test your knowledge of plagiarism.
Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Recognize and Avoid It / Indiana University — This site offers many useful tips and suggestions for avoiding plagiarism.
Using Sources / Hamilton College Writing Center

Evaluating Websites:

Website Evaluation in a Nutshell (read on for more info!)
	Quality websites contain accurate and reliable information from a trustworthy source.
	Questionnable websites may contain inaccurate information perhaps with an overly biased slant from an unknown or unreliable source.

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply and Questions to Ask / UC Berkeley
Evaluating Web Sites / University of Maryland
To appreciate the importance of website evaluation, compare these two websites on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr.: A True Historical Examination available at: http://www.martinlutherking.org/ — Despite its professional look and fancy title, the tone and content of this web page suggests a very strong racial bias and further investigation indicates that this website was created by the Stormfront White Nationalist Group. Note that this site comes up as the third entry in a Google search for "Martin Luther King."
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at: http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/ — This comprehensive website devoted to the life and works of Dr. King is made available by Stanford University, a very reputable educational institution.

Remember that the Internet provides anyone a computer and Internet access the opportunity to create a web page. Just how factual is this web page of AIDS Facts? http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm

library@rbc.edu | Last Update: March 2, 2012