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Between Two
Worlds
There are several types of research paper, but all of them have one thing in common – they require research, critical thinking, and writing skills . An effective research paper incorporates information and ideas from experts in the field with the writer’s own ideas and analysis. Regardless of whether your instructor asks you to write an informational report on a subject, analyze an issue, or take a stand on a particular topic, you will want to write a paper that contains accurate information, is logically organized, and is error free.Getting Started Select a topic of interest to you and make sure it meets with your instructor’s approval. Below are some general handbooks and websites that will help you work through the process of writing a research paper. Guides to Writing Research Papers
Internet Guides to Writing Research Papers
The librarians have prepared Research Guides on a wide variety of topics that help students work through the research process. Research guides that may be relevant to Between Two Worlds are:
Once you have selected a topic for your paper, use the reference books available in the library to get background information on your topic. Reference books such as encyclopedias are a good starting point for your research because they help you become better acquainted with your topic. The GaleNet and Facts.com databases are online resources that provide useful background information as well. The library also has several current events series that focus on current issues. The following series are available, in book format, directly behind the Reference Desk.
Getting More Information on Your Topic Once you have done your background research you will be ready to conduct more comprehensive research using books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. Books Use the Library Catalog to find books available in the Cerritos College Library. Books can provide a broad overview of a topic or in-depth information. You can search for books by author, title, subject, or keyword. It is often best to do a Word search to find books on your topic. If you find one book that is useful to your research, click on the Subject links to see others on the same subject. Some Subject searches that may be relevant to Between Two Worlds are:
Journals and magazines usually provide the most current information on a topic. Journal articles are more scholarly or professional while magazine articles tend to be shorter and more general. Newspaper articles, while not usually scholarly or professional, can give you the most current news and some additional facts on your topic. To find articles on your topic, use one of the online databases listed below. Use subject headings similar to those used to locate books. The Library also has print indexes that must be used to find older articles, generally anything published before 1985.
For remote access to the library databases, login via MyLibrary.
LG 07/03 ; REV MO 04/08 Web Author:
Lorraine Gersitz
(lgersitz@cerritos.edu) |