• Home
• Information Resources
• Research Assistance
• Library Services
• Library Catalog
• About the Library

The Five Step Library Research Process

 Step 1. Choosing a Topic

• Deciding what you are going to research is one of the biggest hurdles in doing research. Ramapo faculty and instructors sometimes assign general or specific topics, or the choice may be up to you. In such a case, consult your instructor for final approval. Knowing where to look for ideas will help you find an interesting subject.

Where Do you get Ideas?

• Your interests and personal experiences, the readings from your class notes, and conversations you have had in class or with others
• Reading periodicals and browsing the shelves in the library's reference or circulating collection.
• Suggestions from your instructor during class conferencing

What are your information requirements?

Read your course syllabus and analyze your assignment. Answering the following questions may help you organize your research.

• What kind of assignment do you have to complete? (a debate, presentation, speech, 10 page paper etc.)
• How much information do you need?
• What types of publications do you need to read? (scholarly journal articles, newspaper articles, books, statistics etc.)
• Do you need to use primary sources?
• What formats do you need? (video, electronic, print)
• Is point of view an issue? Do you need opinion?
• How much time do you have to complete your project?
• Is currency of resources important?
• Is this material available in the George T.Potter Library?

Formulate Your Research Question & Generate Keywords

Express your research question in a sentence. This statement may change as you progress through your research.

Sample question or thesis statement:

How does drug use on college campuses effect students of different gender?

Break down your question into concepts, related terms or keywords. See table below.

 Step 2: Background Information

• To gain an overview, define terms and to get a clear understanding of your topic, use general or subject specific dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, almanacs or other reference works written by experts in the field.
• Search the alphabetized indexes of these sources by using the keywords or related terms you have generated.
• Examine and use the bibliographies at the end of each essay that can lead you to additional books and articles that you can use for references.

 Step 3: Finding Information

The George Potter Library http://library.ramapo.edu provides access to the catalog, databases and other services. See, "Research in a Nutshell," a guide on the homepage under "Reference Assistance."

• Books & Other Materials: Use the catalog(OPAC) to search for books, government documents, videos, DVDs, reserve items, and a listing of journal and magazines in the library's collection.

• Databases and Articles: Find journal articles by using either "Academic Search Premier" or "Expanded Academic ASAP," two full-text databases that cover a broad range of general academic disciplines and allows you to limit your search to scholarly journals and by publication date. Consult a reference librarian for assistance.

• Use Journal Finder to locate print and electronic periodicals in the library's collection. Request materials not owned by the library through Interlibrary Loan at the Reference Desk.

• Web Sources:  Use "Subject Resources" on the library's website to locate supplemental materials on your topic. These sources are judged appropriate by the library faculty for academic use.

 Step 4: Writing your Paper

• The Open Handbook, by Ann Raimes and Maria Jerskey is the standard format used at Ramapo for writing research projects.

      For additional help use the:

• Center for Academic Success at http://guide.ramapo.edu/CAS/tutorschedules.html
• Elements of Style at http://www.bartleby.com/14 and

          (Ref PE 1408 .S772)  or

• Diana Hacker's Rules for Writers@dianahacker.com.

 Step 5: Citing Sources:

• From the George T. Potter homepage http://library.ramapo.edu

        under "Reference Assistance," consult Citing Websites and Print

        Resources to obtain the APA, MLA, Turabian and Chicago Style

        guides. The full text, print versions are available at the Circultation Desk.

• Check your course syllabus or consult with your instructor to see which style you should use for citing your resources and developing your bibliography.

Adapted from Duke University Libraries,

Shirley Knight, Reference Librarian Library Liaison, FYS

George T. Potter Library

revised March 2007