9911 Old Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256, 904.997.2500

Library

Research Help

If you are an Florida Community College student and have any problems or need help with your research, please e-mail Jametoria Burton or call the information desk at 904.997.2562.

Useful Sites When Writing Your Research Paper

Steps in writing a research paper:

1. Narrow your topic: How do you know if your topic is too broad or too narrow? Try a couple preliminary searches in the library catalog or a periodicals database. Look at your results lists. Are you getting hundreds of books or articles on your topic? Or are you getting little to nothing at all?  If you are getting too much, browse the subheadings within the database to find a more precise aspect of the topic. If you are getting too little, you might want to expand your search.
   
   Also, take note of the subject words related to your topic that you find in your preliminary search. These will come in handy as you begin to really get into your research. For instance, if you search “steroids and sports” in the library catalog take a look the subject headings for the books you find. Some additional search terms you will find include “Doping in Sports” and “Athletes — Drug Use.”
   
2. Get background information. Encyclopedias are great for getting overviews of your topic. They will also help to familiarize you with the vocabulary related toyour topic. If any terms are unfamiliar, you can also use dictionaries to get their meanings. See the “Encyclopedias” page for some online encyclopedias you can use.
   
3. Find books on your topic. Use the “Books” page or go to any Florida Community College campus library to search the online catalog for books on your subject. Remember that books are good for background research and historical information, but often you will want to get more up-to-date data from periodical articles.
   
4. Find periodical articles on your topic. Periodical articles can be either scholarly journal articles or articles from popular magazines. You can find plenty of both from the “Periodicals” page. You can also visit any Florida Community College campus library to search the databases and get articles from other print periodicals on campus. Look to see if the articles have a bibliography at the end. This may lead you to more information.
   
5. Using the Web for research. Using a general Web search engine should be your last resort when research a paper for class. Always use the library catalog and journal databases first. This is simply because they contain more reliable information from reputable authors and are generally easier to search. If you cannot find what you need and think it may be on the Web, you can use a search engine to see if what you need is out there. For tips on searching the Web, try the Search Engine Watch tips page. You may have to use more than one to fully search the Web’s resources. Once you find a page, be sure to evaluate it, to be sure that the information you are getting is accurate.

Useful Sites:

Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format: Great site with examples from Purdue University.

APA Style.org: Site offers guidelines for electronic citations. Keep current with the latest information for citing all your electronic sources, including E-mail, Web sites, electronic databases, etc.

Web Extension to APA Style Guide to Writing for Research Papers: Based on the MLA Style Elements of Style ­ By Strunk with rules of usage and principles of composition.

Indispensable Writing Resources: You'll find everything on and off the Net that you could possibly need in writing or researching a paper, including links to all sorts of reference material, links to writing labs, links to Web search engines, and links to writing-related Web sites.

The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing: Site offers a practical, example-filled guide to writing college essays, including help on style, structure, and mechanics.

Web Searching Tips: From the Internet Public Library

Refdesk.com: Virtual Reference Desk with hundreds of useful online information tools at your fingertips.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus Online

Write101.com: Over 200 pages of articles on writing and is designed to help everyone improve their writing and editing skills. The process involves looking at grammar, punctuation, and structure in a way that allows you to re-evaluate your writing style and improve the way you communicate in text.

Writing Skills: This site by Infoplease provides tips how to write topics, including: essays, research papers, biographies and book reports.

Research Paper Help.net: This site is a resource to help high school and university students with the process of writing research papers. The links offer instruction and tips for the various stages of writing a research paper.