Research and Citation Basics

This page is a collection of the basics of research, including

• What a research paper is
• How to do effective searches
• Tricks and tutorials on Google and our databases
• How to determine if a source is credible
• What citation is and how to do it

Why does it matter? A recent study by the Stanford Graduate School of Education found that students struggle to identify bias, to separate legitimate content from advertising, to understand the source of information, and how to determine the credibility of a source.

What is research?

Research is the systematic investigation into a topic and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

• What is Research? [3 minutes]
• What is Research? [4 minutes]
• What is Research? [4 minutes]
• The Research Process Rap by Flocabulary [2 minutes]
• Search vs. Research by McMaster Library [2 minutes]
• Research is Like Cooking [3 minutes]
• 6-Step Research Process by Tulsa Community College [8 minutes]

Primary Sources

• Understanding Primary and Secondary Sources [2 minutes]
• What is a Primay Source? by Shmoop [2 minutes]
• Primary and Secondary Source Tutorial [3 minutes]

How to decide if a source is credible and accurate

• How to know if a source is reliable by Shmoop [5 minutes]
• Evaluating Sources for Credibility [3 minutes]
• Evaluating Sources by Western Libraries [1 minute]

How to write a thesis statement / Parts of a research paper

• How to Write a Thesis for Beginners [3 minutes] Uses a paper on Superman as a sample - developing basic thesis, supporting arguments.
• Parts of a Research Paper by John McDonald [2 minutes] (not a great video, but a nice representation of the structure of a paper, from providing background, to thesis, to results and interpretation, to conclusion)
• Why is Vermeer's "Girl With a Pearl Earring" Considered a Masterpiece? by TEDed [4 minutes] Not about research papers, but a short video that is easy to dissect into the parts of a research paper - thesis, background, arguments, conclusion.
• The Benefits of a Bilingual Brain by TEDed [5 minutes] Not about research papers, but a short video that is easy to dissect into the parts of a research paper - thesis, background, arguments, conclusion.

What is citation and how to cite sources

All of this information and the correct way to organize and format it can be tricky - the research databases provided by the library will do it for you, and for other websites you can use EasyBib, BibMe or Citation Machine to help create a citation. It is helpful to keep track of all of your sources as you find them, and then organize them at the end into a Works Cited page or Bibliography.

• Citation for Beginners [3 minutes]
• Citation [2 minutes]
• Why Citations are Important [3 minutes]
• Why we cite sources by Camden Carroll Library [3 minutes]
• Why we cite sources by New Hampton School [5 minutes]
• Plagiarism by Shmoop [5 minutes]
• Using citations effectively by Shmoop [3 minutes]
• Why is citation so important? [5 minutes]
• What are in-text citations? [2 minutes]
• MLA Style Citation by Shmoop [2 minutes]

Annotated Bibliography

An annotated bibliography is a list of your sources (similar to a bibliography or works cited page), with the addition of short descriptions of each source. Usually short (about 100-150 words), it will include a brief summary of the source, and then an assessment of how it will be useful or relevant to you and your research. See this sample at Purdue OWL. Sample format.

• Annotated Bibliography for High School Students from Totino-Grace High School Library (2 min)
• What is an annotated bibliography? from Carleton University (3 min)
• What's an annotated bibliography? from Brock University (2 min)
• Writing an annotated bibliography from Southwestern University (2 min)
• Annotated Bibliographies from Steely Library (2 min)
• What is an annotated bibliography? (2 min) from High School Teacher

Research

An important part of this task is doing efficient and accurate research on your topic. You should:

• Start general and get more specific
• Use a variety of strong keywords, and add new keywords based on research you are completing
• Adjust your strategy for different resources and based on success or failure, including broadening or narrowing your search
• Use a variety of resources to get a well-rounded perspective and examine results for bias and accuracy
• Ask for help if you get stuck

• How Library Stuff Works: Keywords from McMaster Libraries (2 min)
• How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Operators from McMaster Libraries

Tips and tricks for Google and our databases

Remember to use tricks like quotes, minus and site:

Watch a short video or an even shorter video to learn some new tricks.

In our databases, remember to filter your results by type, subject, or reading level.