Developing a Research Plan

Developing a Research Plan

Unit 5

The Steps of the Research Process

Use this process as your initial research plan and modify it as you go to fit the needs of your research assignment.

Choose a Topic

• Review the guidelines of your assignment before choosing a topic.

• Your topic will be the starting point of your research process and will be the basis of what helps you form questions that guide your research.

• The topic should be specific enough that your paper will have a clear focus.

Find Background Information

• Gather background information about your topic to help determine the areas you’ll focus on in your paper. 

• As you research, note any interesting information that you find out about your topic.

• At this stage, as you learn more, you might find that your opinions about your topic have changed. You might even want to change the focus of your initial topic.

Look for Relevant Sources

• Find sources that are relevant to your topic.    

• A relevant source is one that relates directly to your topic and will help you develop your research paper.

• Finding relevant sources often involves both an internet and a library search.

• Be sure to look for a variety of sources.

Evaluate your Sources for Reliability

• Evaluate your sources to judge whether they are reliable, or trustworthy.  

• If you find that your sources are not reliable, go back a few steps to research more from credible sources. That will make the information you provide in your research assignment stronger and more reliable.

• Also ensure that any source you use is current.

Use Strong Evidence to Support Ideas

• Use information from your sources for your supporting evidence. 

• When you read through each source, look for information that clearly relates to your topic.

• If you find that while you are putting your research together you do not have sufficient supporting evidence, go back a few steps to find more sources with strong and credible information. 

Cite Sources Correctly in Your Paper

• Always cite your sources by giving credit to the authors of the sources you use. 

• This step is important to ensure that you avoid plagiarism, which is to pass off someone else’s ideas, words, or images as though they're your own.

Multiple Choice

Match each standard for evaluating sources with its description.

The issue is addressed from a balanced and fair viewpoint.

• trustworthiness

• relevance

• authority

• currency

Multiple Choice

Match each standard for evaluating sources with its description.

The information is up-to-date.

• currency

• trustworthiness

• authority

• relevance

Multiple Choice

Match each standard for evaluating sources with its description.

The writer of the text has experience or expertise on the topic.

• authority

• relevancy

• currency

• trustworthiness

Multiple Choice

Match each challenge with the appropriate solution.

Your research produced

information that you

had not considered.

• Add another section to your outline.

• Focus your search on a more specific topic.

• Make your search more general

• Revise your thesis statement.

Multiple Choice

Match each challenge with the appropriate solution.

Your research didn’t

produce enough information

to fill an entire paper.

• Make your search more general

• Add another section to your outline.

• Focus your search on a more specific topic.

• Revise your thesis statement.

Multiple Choice

Which is the best example of a question formed through informal inquiry?

• Is there enough information on the topic to help strengthen my research?

• Do I want to follow the research plan that I already set out for myself?

• Will my topic be controversial enough that it will spark debate with my audience?

• Does my audience agree with my view on the topic before I present my ideas?

Multiple Choice

What is the word used to refer to passing off someone else's ideas, words or images as though they were your own?

• Plagiarism

• Borrowing

• Citing

• Stealing

Multiple Choice

Why is it important to evaluate your sources while researching?

• They can establish your credibility of information presented.

• They can determine your audience’s approval regarding a topic.

• They can determine your audience’s level of engagement.

• They can establish your level of knowledge regarding a topic.

Multiple Choice

What is the first step in the research process?

• choosing a topic

• citing sources

• finding background information

• drafting an essay

Multiple Choice

Which statement is an example of a focused topic?

• Fruits from rainforests in the Amazon are effective remedies for the common cold.

• Fruits from rainforests in the Amazon are effective remedies for the common cold.

• Fruits from rainforests are known to heal diseases that affect people around the world.

• Fruits from rainforests are enjoyed by people all over the world.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of a topic that is too broad?

• effects of recycling

• the measures the state of California is using to increase recycling

• effects of chemicals on a body of water due to a landfill

• positive effects of composting food in a community