How to Make Your Research Work for You

Written by Meredith Pasahow

No matter what major you are in, there is an essay genre you will certainly come across at some point during your college career: the research paper. Whether this is math and science based or humanities based, every student will undoubtedly be required to write some kind of researched based essay. Oftentimes, the trickiest part is getting started with the research itself. So, in this post, we will explore some tips and tricks on how to make your research work for you.

The first thing to do is to select a database to start pulling research from. Google is all well and good, but it’s usually cluttered with clickbait and blog posts that are only tangentially related to your topic. For an academic or scholarly paper, I would recommend Google Scholar (scholar.google.com). This is a Google-based website specifically for peer reviewed articles, that automatically filters out all the internet detritus we tend to see floating around while we’re trying to find that one perfect source.

Google Scholar has a lot of fantastic features. For instance, say you’re researching women in sports as your topic and you find it. The perfect article for your paper. You love it, you want twenty more like it. Google Scholar has you covered.

You have two options to find more articles like the one you fell in love with. Cited By will give you a list of articles that have used your article as a source. Related Articles will give you more sources along the same lines as the one you like.

Google Scholar search result for a 2000 sports medicine article highlighting the “Cited by” number and “Related articles.”

            Need to do a bit of quick research but don’t have time to read everything you come across? No problem. Simply click on the star on the left-hand side…

Google Scholar search result for a 2000 sports medicine article highlighting the “Save” feature.

…and the article will be saved to your library to read at your leisure. To find these articles later, click on the My Library tab and they will all be there for you when you are ready for them.

The one feature I do not recommend with Google Scholar, as with most sites, is the citation feature.

Google Scholar search result for a 2000 sports medicine article with the “Cite” feature crossed out.

Though it is tempting to use citation machines like this, they are often out of date and do not have the current versions of MLA, APA, or whatever citation style you may need.

In terms of how to begin your research, I recommend starting broadly and narrowing your focus down from there. Sometimes, if we simply type our thesis question or main argument into a search engine, it’s too narrow for the algorithm to find anything for us. However, if we take a few steps back and look more widely at our subject, our research can often take us in unexpected directions. Sometimes we’ll find something we didn’t know we needed!

So, start, for instance, with something like “women in sports”, and then narrow it down to “women in sports Olympics” and then “when did women start participating in the Olympics”. If you’re still having trouble finding sources on your subject, try researching subjects adjacent to your subject. If you can’t find what you want on when women started participating in the Olympics, try searching “history of the Olympics” and going from there.

If you’re having trouble finding what you need on your own, I always recommend a trip to the library. We have incredibly helpful (and friendly!) research librarians who can get you pointed in the right direction. And after you’ve gathered all the research you need, it is much easier to grasp the writing of your paper.

Writing an APA Literature Review

Written by Write Site Staff

Whether you are assigned a literature review as a standalone assignment or working on it as a section of a larger research paper, the APA manual outlines the content a literature review should include and suggests methods organization.

A literature review is not just a summary – it is a critical evaluation of sources and synthesis of current research.

Content

A literature review should include more than just a summary of the information you learned from your sources. While summarizing is definitely a rhetorical component of a literature review, it should address each of the following:

• What is the problem the researchers are attempting to solve?
• What is the research working to change or prove?
• What is the current state of research?
• What is the synthesis of the investigations discussed in your sources?
• How do the sources relate to one another? Address connections, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies.
• What do you think should happen next? In what direction should the research head? What questions remain to be answered? What issues could be clarified?

Organization

Students often organize a literature review source by source, meaning that one paragraph discusses one study, the next paragraph discusses another, etc.

This type of organization is not the most rhetorically effective organizational method and can hinder the kind of critical thinking the literature review is intended to develop.

Simply put, your literature review should include the following sections:

• Introduction: states the main topic and explains the scope of the literature review.
• Main Body: synthesizes your sources.
• Conclusion: summarizes the main body and identifies gaps.

APA Suggested Methods of Organizing Main Body Paragraphs

Sections by Conceptual Categories:

Your sources are likely to be investigating several aspects of the same problem. In a literature review on adolescent depression, for example, you might have a paragraph(s) discussing potential risk factors, a paragraph(s) discussing research on therapeutic options, and a paragraph(s) on the effect of pharmaceuticals. Likely, more than one source will be discussed in each section, and each source will be discussed in more than one section.

Sections by Methodological Similarities:

Group literature together based on how the researcher(s) approached the research. For example, do some of your sources use case studies, others use interviews, and others experiments? If so, this method of organization may work well for you. It allows you to present similar forms of research together, comparing and analyzing what the results mean.

Chronological / Historical Development:

This form of organization presents research chronologically, giving an idea of how the field of study has changed over time. This approach works especially well if a field has been studied over a long period of time or if there have been significant developments in the research.

TIPS:

1. Find an organizational focus.
2. Use quotes sparingly, and paraphrase carefully.
3. Think in terms of synthesis rather than summary.
4. Describe the search procedures you used.
5. Keep your own voice!

Academic Arguing

Written by Lia Schuermann

When we use the word “argument,” it usually has two very different meanings. The version of arguing you’re probably most familiar with is when someone verbally confronts others and their beliefs and values while defending their own. You probably think of this kind of argument when two friends have a disagreement with each other, which can be highly stressful for them and anyone nearby.

Instead of making an argument, they’re having one, and it’s usually more about confrontation than persuasion (Fleming 249). Everyday arguing is a natural way that people express themselves, but this kind of conflict can be threatening because the focus is often on attacking others and defending ourselves.

In an academic context, we craft an argument in which we not only assert our opinions but present reasons to support them. When we argue in academic papers, we’re not trying to rationalize our own beliefs or defeat our opponents. We’re trying to reason with others. And so, academic arguing is an important and necessary skill and activity because it asks us to use reason to facilitate, manage, and even resolve differences.

What’s in an Argument?

To best craft an academic argument paper for class, you’ll want to prepare. That means before going into in-depth research, make sure you choose a topic or issue with which you can connect. At the same time, make sure it’s a viable topic – one with ample amounts of research that you can make use of in a paper.

If you can’t think of a topic, pick one that deals with being a college student – anything from student loans to parking! You can research the topic online (and/or use your school’s library database, not to mention your local public library) to find articles that not only discuss that issue but do so fairly by acknowledging and respecting those on both sides of the argument, just like academic arguing.

Writing an effective argumentative paper is about being aware of what others think on a topic, reflecting on the opposing views of that topic, and presenting reasons why those involved might compromise on the issue. We can even use academic arguing like this outside of class, but it’s probably not necessary when arguing over whether to have burgers or pizza for dinner. It can, however, be useful when discussing issues with others (friends, family, etc.) who are personally and passionately involved in those issues so that they feel respected and acknowledged.

Perhaps most importantly, in order to craft an effective argument, you must conduct some kind of research and use what you find as evidence to convince those who are reading that you’re not simply stating an opinion (like in a mundane argument with a friend).

For TWU Students

A specific database under the TWU library that reflects this is Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, which is organized by issue and contains articles on one side of the issue and articles on the other side of the same issue.

For Writers at Large

Another really helpful resource that shows different sides of an issue is New York Times’ “Room for Debate” where they discuss current events and issues with writers debating multiple sides of that issue. What’s really cool about this is that there’s not necessarily just two sides to each issue, as debaters aren’t categorized by labels like for and against.

I hope these resources are as helpful for you as they have been for me as a college student.  And remember, academic arguing is about respecting and discussing, not fighting!

---

References

Fleming, David. “Rhetoric and Argumentation.” A Guide to Composition Pedagogies, edited by Gary Tate, Amy Rupiper Taggart, Kurt Schick, and H. Brooke Hessler, Oxford University Press, 2014, p.248-265, works.bepress.com/david-fleming/3/.