Basic Steps in the Research Process

• Step 1: Figure out what your project is. It seems silly, but you need to know exactly what question you are trying to answer before doing any research. You can make a mind map, like the one below, or reread the assignment to determine what your topic is. Brainstorm Search Terms. DO NOT type a whole sentence into Google and expect to find a good resource.

• Step 2: Start searching and follow the prompts on the worksheet below. Research is iterative, meaning it is done over and over again. Watch this video if you want to learn more about how internet searches work. Make sure that you are using good search engines as well.

• Step 3a: Evaluating the Search Results. Before using the information you found in a research project you need to determine if the website is trustworthy. Use the infographic to the left to determine if the website you are looking at can be trusted. You can also use the flowchart in the worksheets below.

• Step 3b: Copyright. When looking for photos, be sure that the photo you find is in the public domain. As a student you don't need to be that careful about copyright laws, however good habits last a lifetime and professional (colleges and employers) situation DO care about copyright laws.

• Step 4: Take Notes. While reading through the website use a separate google doc or piece of paper to write down what the article was mostly about (gist notes). This will help you in avoiding plagiarism as well as remember what you just read.

• Step 5: Citations. No research project is complete without a Works Cited Page. This is where you list all the websites, books, articles, etc that you read for the project. Remember to cite all websites that you read and took notes on, not just websites you took quotes from. Use the citation generators on Plagiarism Tools page to generate individual citations then list them in alphabetical order on a page titled "Works Cited"

• Step 6: Proofread your project. At the very end of the project it is so very important to proof read the entire thing. You don't want to have spent hours on a project only to have trusted spell check and the word 'garage" to "grave" and your project now looks silly. End with a bang and proofread your project to sure that it is the masterpiece you want it to be.