You know the feeling. A nasty sensation travels down your esophagus and envelops your stomach as your professor assigns a 20-page research paper with specific reference and format requirements. Stress increases as you picture massive piles of information you will have to select and sort.
Studies have shown that these feelings are shared by the majority of college students in the U.S. According to Project Information Literacy’s “Truth Be Told: How College Students Evaluate and Use Information in the Digital Age,” 84 percent of college students find that getting started is the hardest part of research papers.
But, have no fear. There are simple, efficient and fear-free ways of tackling a research paper.
Carrie Gits, assistant director of reference at the Alvin Sherman Library, said most students want what’s convenient and fast. However, she said a key ingredient to getting on the right path is starting early.
“Everyone wants information right now,” she said. “In the long run, searching through Google or Wikipedia takes longer. You have to sift through a lot of information that is not as relevant or accurate, making it harder on yourself.”
Gits said Web sites are useful for spelling or finding pieces of background information. She recommended looking at advanced search features for better results.
Students should also use a mixture of books and articles as resources. Books provide a theoretical approach, while articles provide current research. If the topic is current, articles and periodicals are the most reliable sources, said Gits.
“Students have to remember that research-ing is a process. If you search for an article, you’re going to get a hundred results, but your responsibility is to evaluate them and determine if they are relevant,” said Gits.
Gabi Cao, senior history major, follows a series of steps to successfully start a research paper. She said she first makes an outline and thesis for her research projects. She follows with online resources and looks for material in JSTOR, ProQuest and other online databases.
“I hit online databases to search for online and print materials and read the bibliographies of books related to my topic to see what other books they refer to,” she said. “For books and articles, I look for material that has been either published by a university or another credible academic publisher.”
Gits said evaluating and reading through material enhances knowledge of the subject being researched.
“What can seem like something useless can bring value and great returns in actual knowledge for the paper,” Gits said.
Meeting with a librarian is another tool in successful research.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Librarians here can meet in person or via phone, e-mail, chat or text,” Gits said.
Librarians created www.nova.campusguides.com based on different subjects and for particular courses. It groups access to resources on those courses and subjects and streams books, e-books, and videos. It can also be accessed through mobile phones and the library’s Web sites.
The next time you begin to feel stress constricting your stomach as your professor assigns a research paper, remember there are plenty of ways to facilitate and bring focus to the research process.
