A presentation for the National Day of Writing event at the University of Nebraska Kearney on November 9, 2011. Presenters: Jon Ritterbush and Ron Wirtz of UNK's Calvin T. Ryan Library.

1. RESEARCH BASED
WRITING
NOVEMBER 9, 2011
Jon Ritterbush & Ron Wirtz
Calvin T. Ryan Library – University of Nebraska Kearney

2. Steps of the Research Process
 STEP 1: Define a Topic
 STEP 2: Plan the Search
 STEP 3: Find Information
 STEP 4: Evaluate What is Found
 STEP 5: Cite Your Sources

3. STEP 1: Define a Topic
 Try stating the research topic as a question.
For example:
“What is the effect of television violence on children?“
OR
 Try defining the research topic as a thesis
statement in one or two sentences. For
example:
"Watching television with too much violence can
have a negative impact on children.“
 With a research topic question or statement in
mind, planning a search strategy (Step 2) will be
easier!

4. STEP 1: Define a Topic
 Choose a topic that is interesting and relevant
to the assignment.
 Choose a topic that is accessible to you.
 Choose a topic with an appropriate scope. Here are
some ways to narrow a broad research topic:
 Population, ethnic or age group.
 A particular geographical area or environment.
 A particular theory or approach.
 A methodology such as field experiments, research studies, or
naturalistic observations.
 A certain author, movement, or historical event.

5. STEP 2: Plan the Search
 Identify key words or concepts within your
topic, and consider other similar terms that
may be relevant.
 If you're having trouble thinking of key
words, ask a librarian for assistance!

6. STEP 2: Plan the Search
 These key words will be helpful in building
sophisticated search queries.

7. STEP 2: Plan the Search
 Using "OR" will usually broaden or increase
the number of search results.
 Using "AND" to combine terms will usually
narrow or decrease the number of search
results.
 Using an asterisk (*) at the end of a partial
word will broaden or increase search results
by including multiple word endings.

8. STEP 3: Find Information
Having a well-defined research topic and a
search plan can improve the quality of your
research.
Knowing the right tools
to use can expedite the
research process.

9. STEP 3: Find Information
Print Encyclopedias
& Online Reference Library Catalog
Tools
Books, e-books, gov’t
Great for background/ documents, videos
introductory info
Internet search
Article Databases engines
Websites of gov’t agencies
Newspaper & magazine or non-profits; some free
articles, peer-reviewed online news sources; may
journal articles link to UNK Library
resources*

10. STEP 4: Evaluate What is
Found
Evaluate your information using the CRAAP Test:
 Currency – Is this information up-to-date?
 Relevance – Does this source address your
topic in sufficient detail?
 Accuracy – How reliable and valid is this
information? Does the author list his/her
sources?
 Authority – What are the author(s)
qualifications? Who produces this publication or
hosts this website?
 Purpose – Is the information presented
objectively?
*Modified version of CRAAP Test created by Meriam Library at California State University, Chico.

11. STEP 5: Cite Your Sources
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense! When
in doubt, you should always give credit where
credit is due.
“You are plagiarizing if you:
 Quote directly from a book or periodical without using quotation
marks and a note to indicate that the material is not yours.
 Paraphrase an author, sentence by sentence, without
acknowledging the author as the source of the material.
 Use, without acknowledgement, an idea put forward by an author
when you can’t find the same idea in two or more independent
sources."1
1.Badke, William B. (2004). Research Strategies: Finding Your Way through the Information Fog (pp.123). New York:
iUniverse.

12. STEP 5: Cite Your Sources
Common knowledge is factual information which
requires no citation or verbal credit in the body of
a research paper.
Examples of common knowledge include:
 The moon is 225,745 miles from the earth.
 The Battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1-3, 1863.
 Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne
Clemens.

13. STEP 5: Cite Your Sources
Remember: UNK subscribes to SafeAssign, an
online tool which assists faculty in screening
papers for plagiarism.
To avoid plagiarism:
 Start your assignment early!
 Note your sources during your research stage
 Cite your sources in your writing
 Citation and proofreading help is available at the UNK
Writing Center in the Learning Commons (Library 2nd
floor)

14. For more research
assistance…
 Connect with a librarian at Ask Us
24/7
www.unk.edu/library/askus/
 Find online research guides at:
guides.library.unk.edu
 See the Library Research Tutorial at
bit.ly/kQZ3NN

15. Q&A
 Ron Wirtz
Coordinator of User Services
wirtzrl@unk.edu
 Jon Ritterbush
E-Resources and Serials Librarian
ritterbushjr@unk.edu