All About College Research

Here are some things to keep in mind throughout the research process:

REMEMBER YOUR PROFESSORS' REQUIREMENTS

Be sure to double-check your assignment guidelines. Your professors will usually provide you with a list of things that must be included.

Look for instructions about

• the number of sources,
• the types of sources, or
• where to locate your sources.

It's usually okay to have more than a required amount, such as 7 sources instead of 5. It's never okay to have less than a required amount, such as 3 sources instead of 5. If you're ever confused about the guidelines, ask your professor!

If you're confused about where to locate your sources (All-in-One Search, specific databases, the shelves in the library) you can email us! A librarian would be more than happy to help, and you can even set up appointments to go through your options together.

KNOW MORE THAN YOU WRITE

It's always helpful to know more about a subject than what actually makes it into the paper or assignment.

Your professors read stuff all the time—students' papers, other professors' articles, journal articles, etc. They can tell if you've taken the time to do your own research. Plus, it's good to have some extra information if you suddenly find that you need to expand the length of your paper.

TIME & DEADLINES

Research assignments come with different deadlines. Know when your research should be completed. Put it in your calendar or your phone. Write it on a post-it note and stick it on your computer. Whatever works for you.

Then, set up a research schedule. We suggest 12 adaptable steps for doing research, but some steps take more time than others. Does it take a while for you to brainstorm about a topic? Schedule more time for that. Do you need more time to search in databases? Set aside more time. It can be helpful to even give yourself specific due dates for these individual steps, so you don't find yourself trying to cram them all into the last few days. Everyone's process is different, so there's no wrong answer as long as you have a plan. But most importantly, create a system that works for YOU.

PLAGIARISM. DON'T DO IT!

While you're researching, keep track of your sources. You'll need them for your citations (see the Citing Sources page!). If you don't cite a source correctly, you're plagiarizing that source, which is a quick way to get into trouble.

If you have any questions, please read through our Plagiarism page. If you still have questions, come talk to us. Shoot us an email. Stop us on the sidewalk. Whatever works best for you!