Remember to include each step of your research process. Here are some questions and things to consider as you write.
1. Start with the big picture
- Define concepts and terms
- What reference works will you consult? Where will you find them?
- Which websites would be appropriate for finding general information about your topic?
2. Narrow your topic (this may be iterative)
- How did you decide what area to focus on? (or what slice of the issue)?
- What was your process in narrowing your topic to something manageable?
3. Make a research plan
- What keywords and booleans did you use?
- What were your search expressions?
- What tools did you use? How did you pick them?
- How did you decide they were the best tools for your information needs?
- What revisions did you need to make in order to find appropriate information?
4. Research
- What did you consider when evaluating your results? Is the research you found credible? Does it help make your point? How do you know?
- What revisions are necessary to your plan (step 3) to find the information you need?
- How did you select articles and sources from the myriad results available?
- How did you synthesize your research? What are your articles saying? Do they agree or disagree with each other? How do they support your research question?
5. Form an opinion
- Synthesize and decide
- How did you get to your thesis statement?
- Has your opinion of your topic changed since you started researching? Has has your understanding of it increased or decreased?
