Research Tips

Research Tips

Megan Fernandez

International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC)

​Pathway 1

​

Today:

What to expect?

Reputable sources

Places to avoid

How to fin​d Research

Examples!

Practice!

References

Agenda​

Poll

Have you ever done a research project before? Either in your previous studies or with ILAC?

• Yes!

• No!

Open Ended

What is the hardest part of research?

What to expect in this assignment?

• minimum 2 research materials

  • these must be in English​

• reputable sources!

• Visuals!​

Research Tips | Pathway 1

What to expect?

Finding Reputable Sources

Websites - Online

1. Government websites

2. Educational Websites

3. News ​Websites

4. Non-​biased polling websites

5. N​ot-for-profit Charity Organization

Reputable Sources

A​cademically-reviewed research

​

Legitimate data ​

​

Variety of ​research

Educational Websites

EX - Oxford University Press​

​Population Census

​

Legiti​mate data

​

Variety of Research​

Government Websites

Ex- Stat Can​

Why these resources?

Finding Reputable Sources: Websites - Online

Why these resources

News websites

EX - Global News​

Real world e​xperiences

​

A fair degree of editing ​prior to publishing

​

Usually incl​udes sourced research

Finding Reputable Sources: Websites - Online

Usually done by experts in the field​

​

​Usually funded by government aid

not-for-profit charity orgs

EX - World Health Organization (WHO)​

​Population Census

​

Usually for research

​

Provides sample at random

non-biased polling sites

EX - Pew Research Centre​

Why these resources?

Finding Reputable Sources: Websites - Online

Multiple Select

Which of the following are reputable sources?

• Government of Canada website

• Oxford University Press

• A Business Blog

• World Health Organization (WHO) Website

• PEW Research Centre - For data and polls

Finding Reputable Sources

Academic Journal Articles - Online

Most recommended source of information

​

​Usually expected in Universities and Colleges

​

Usually pe​er-reviewed by experts in the field

Reputable Sources: Academic Journal Articles

where can I go to find journal articles?

JSTOR

Google Scholar

Academic journal articles: how do i know if it is good?

A good journal article must:

• ​be longer than 3 pages

• have a minimum of 3 research references

• ​be in a peer-reviewed journal

Subject | Subject

Reputable Sources: Academic Journal Articles

Multiple Choice

How many references (minimum) must an academic journal article have?

• 2

• 5

• 10

• 3

Multiple Select

A reputable academic journal article must be...

• peer-reviewed

• published online

• written by a professor

• include relevant research

place to avoid:

• blogs written by companies

  • especially to sponsor their products

• personal and opinion blogs

• opinion sections of a news website/paper

Places to Avoid

How to find research?

step one:

1. Analyze your topic:

   1. What is the main idea?

   2. Limitations?

   3. Stance?

   These are your key words​

how to find research?

step two:

Us​​e these key words in your search engine:

• Google works ​as well as any search engine

• ​Google Scholar - for academic journal articles

  • Google Scholar

• ​JSTOR is a great place if you do not have access to Google

  • JSTOR Home​

How to find research?

step 3:

Check the above requirements. Is it a reputable source?

Read​ the abstract.

​

​CTRL+F your key words

​

​Read relevant information

Academic journal article:

Read autho​r's stance

​

CTRL+F​ your key words

​

Read rele​vant information

website:

how to find research?

how to find research?

step 4:

Consider how and why it ​can be used in your argument.

​

Copy​ and paste the relevant quotes in your notes.

​

​Copy the link/URL to include in your reference page.

Multiple Choice

Do you need to read a full 20 page academic journal article?

• Yes

• No

Open Ended

Do you have any questions before we practice?

references:

Global News (2022). Home Page. Corus Entertainment Inc. https://globalnews.caWorld

​

Google Scholar (2022). ​Home Page. https://scholar.google.com/​

​

Health Organizations (2022). Data. https://www.who.int​

​

​JSTOR (2022). Home Page. https://www.jstor.org/

references:

​Oxford University Press (2022). ​Academic: Home Page. https://global.oup.com

​

​Pew Research Center (2022). Home Page. https://www.pewresearch.org/

​

​​Statistics Canada (2022 March 31). Data: Home Page. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca