Put It All Together
Doing research involves more than just finding books and articles on your topic. In addition to actually writing your paper, here are some things you'll need to consider.
Using web sources
Your instructor may allow you to use information from web sites for your research. The Internet Public Library and Librarians' Internet Index are great places to find trustworthy web sites, approved by librarians.
Evaluating web sources
When you're looking for information online - either serious research or just for fun - it's always a good idea to think critically about the information you find. Here are some guides (all designed by librarians) that show what to look for:
- Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
(Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries) - Evaluating Web Pages
(Duke University Libraries) - Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages
(Cornell University Library)
Citing your sources
Citing your sources is an essential step in the research process. This allows others to verify your information and gives credit to previous researchers for their hard work. Here are some guides to citing your sources and writing your bibliography:
- Annotated Bibliography Guide
(Gould Library, Carleton College) - Citing Your Sources
(UC Berkeley Library)
Avoiding Plagiarism
Part of avoiding plagiarism is citing your sources, but there's more to it than that. Check out this guide for more information:
- How to avoid plagiarism
(UW Madison Writing Center)
Contact the DCTC Writing Center for quality writing assistance and tutoring.