Library Research for ALCI Level 3 & 4 Capstone Course

This video will introduce you to the purpose of research and present strategies to successfully begin your research journey.

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Since research projects can feel overwhelming, it is helpful to break them down into a step-by-step process. The first step is choosing and narrowing your topic.

Google Doc Page 2. Background research is an essential part of developing a focused topic for your research paper. Conducting background research before you decide on your topic paves the way for more effective and targeted in-depth research.

Now that you are familiar with identifying your assignment needs, the next step is to gather the evidence to support your query. This video will guide you through thesis development and outlining your assignment’s argument.

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In most cases, your professor expects you to develop an opinion on a topic, to make arguments in support of that opinion, and to use facts from your research to support those opinions. Therefore, your research question needs to reflect an issue or problem related to your topic for which different answers are possible.
Asking whether a fact or statistic directly answers your research question can help you find the most relevant information for your topic. A good research question also leads to a direct answer in the form of a thesis.

Though there is immense variety in source types, they can be divided into 5 general categories: traditional scholarly sources, gray literature, trade journals, non-traditional research sources, and everyday sources.
Being able to distinguish between these types of sources will help you locate and evaluate the most appropriate materials for your research.

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Choosing and using keywords are important skills when conducting research.
Why identifying keywords is important.
How to select key concepts from a research question.
Ways to identify useful keywords.

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In this section, you will learn how to create a search statement using Boolean operators and other advanced search techniques.

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Learn about why you should evaluate your sources.

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The point of collecting books and articles is to incorporate research into your papers in order to support your thesis. You may be accused of plagiarism if you do not use proper citation. Plagiarism is taking another persons’ ideas and presenting them as your own.