How to Research a Term Paper

Where to start? At first glance, the number of places to look for information in a large research library can be overwhelming. By following the steps explained below, you will be guided through the pool of bibliographies, catalogues and indexes in both electronic and paper format in the Reference Services area of the Killam Library, and will emerge with material relevant to your term paper topic. Books that will help you write your paper are listed at the end ofthis guide. For instructions on the correct format for notes and bibliographies, refer to the MLA style guide or the APA style guide.

1. Understand the topic

If there is a choice of topic, select one that interests you and that you will enjoy researching. Then, read and re-read the description of your chosen topic until you thoroughly understand its meaning. When in doubt, check a dictionary for definitions of difficult terms or read a short encyclopedia entry about the person, event or subject involved. Dictionaries and encyclopedias can be found in the Reference Collection near the Reference Desk. If you are still unsure what is required, ask your professor for more details.

2. Limit the Topic

When you feel comfortable with the topic, it is time to think about the points you want to cover in the written paper. Remember that the broader your focus, the more information there will be to absorb and to digest. Too much information can lead to overload and can result in a lack of focus and coherence in your paper. You can concentrate your efforts by breaking your topic down into manageable units, or subtopics. The table of contents of a book on the same subject, or an article in a specialized encyclopedia, can provide you with ideas for subtopics. Once you have a subtopic, ask yourself these questions:

• What do I know about this subject?

• What do I need to know about this subject?

3. Determine Research Needs

Before going ahead with your research, determine which of the following types of information are likely to answer your needs:

Facts and Figures - see Step 4

• EXAMPLE: Who is the Prime Minister of Australia? (fact)

• EXAMPLE: How many babies were born to teenage mothers in Nova Scotia last year (figure)

Short Review or Survey of a Subject - see Step 5

• EXAMPLE: Who were the major existentialist writers and what were their theories?

Discussion of an Event or Series of Events - see Step 6

• EXAMPLE: What crises led to the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961?

Analysis of a Research Question - see Step 7

• EXAMPLE: Is there a connection between alcoholism and child abuse?

Detailed Study of a Subject - see Step 8

• EXAMPLE: How did the Industrial Revolution come about and what were its negative effects on society?

You will likely need several of the types of information listed above. By organizing your search around the corresponding types of information sources, you will save time and maintain your focus. Remember to write down the bibliographical details of the sources you intend to quote, paraphrase or summarize in the paper: file cards are handy for this purpose.

4. Finding Facts and Figures

A fact is "a thing certainly known to have occurred or be true". A figure is a numerical or other type of illustration of truth or probability, sometimes called a statistic. The Library's Reference Collection holds many books of facts and figures, arranged in subject order. To find a reference book in your subject area, search the Novanet Online Catalogue using a relevant subject heading followed by "Dictionaries" or "Directories" (eg. Philosophy -- Dictionaries), or ask for assistance at the Reference Desk. A great deal of statistical information is collected and published by government bureaus such as Statistics Canada. A catalogue and index of these statistics is available at the Social Sciences and Humanities Reference Desk.

5. Finding a Short Review of a Subject

A review article, sometimes called a survey, attempts to explain the most important aspects of an issue or topic, without taking sides or trying to persuade. Some specialized handbooks and encyclopedias in the Reference Collection contain reviews of subjects, events or ideas, usually with suggested additional readings that will lead to more detail, should you need it. Surveys of very current issues such as "AIDS" are often published in news or general interest magazines such as Time and Psychology Today. The Academic Index database, accessible on the Campus DELI, lists, according to subject, articles printed in such magazines. Consult our guide, How to Find a Journal Article or ask at the Reference Desk for assistance in locating or using these books.

6. Finding out about an Event

There are two types of information about an event: primary (written at the time) and secondary (written later). Newspapers and magazines provide a permanent record of the contemporary response to an event. The Killam Library and other local libraries have collected magazines and newspapers on microfilm, so that even 18th- and 19th-Century viewpoints on events which occurred at the time can be found. These records can be located by checking one or several of the following indexes: The Times (London) Index, New York Times Index, Canadian News Index (continued by Canadian Index), CBCA, and Poole's Index to Periodical Literature.

Later commentary on an event, written after the passage of decades or even centuries, should be less emotional and more rigorously analytic and balanced. Articles on past events can be found by using a specialized index or database such as Historical Abstracts, America: History and Life or Contemporary Women's Issues. Consult the list of databases for possible sources, or ask at the Reference Desk.

7. Finding a Research Article

A "scholarly" article is an analysis of a research question written by a trained professional or academic and published in a specialized journal. You can locate such research articles on your topic by using indexes, electronic databases, and bibliographies that list articles published in a certain field. International Political Science Abstracts, for example, indexes, by author and by subject, articles and papers written on political themes. The word "abstracts" appears in the title because it also provides a paragraph of text summarizing the main points discussed in the article. Indexes, abstracting tools and databases are located near the Reference Desk. Bibliographies are located in the Z Reference collection at the back of the Reference Area and in the main book collection on the third and fourth floors. You can find out if the Library has a bibliography on your topic by performing a subject heading search on the Novanet Online Catalogue: for example, "Child Abuse Bibliography." Alternatively, ask at the Reference Desk for suggestions of indexes or bibliographies appropriate to your subject.

8. Finding a Book

Some subjects are too complex to be covered adequately in a periodical or encyclopedia article. If you require a lengthy and thorough analysis of all aspects of a topic, or some ideas of the issues surrounding a topic, then a book or government report may be useful. Books can be located through the Novanet Online Catalogue. For assistance, refer to the guide, Novanet Online Catalogue or ask for help at the Reference Desk.

Many government publications, whether federal, provincial or international, analyze topics of importance to the public. Because some of these publications may be used by government officials to make decisions, they must be thorough and well-balanced. You can locate government publications by using the Novanet Online Catalogue.

9. Evaluate your Material

10. Begin Writing

If you have defined your topic, kept your research focused, read critically and absorbed the useful information, you are now ready to write an organized and interesting term paper. Congratulations! You may wish to consult our Research Aid How to present Bibliographies and References for the correct form of bibliographic citation.

Guides to Writing a Term Paper

Allen, Eliot D. and Ethel B. Colbrunn. A Short Guide to Writing a Critical Review. DeLand, FL: Everett/Edwards, 1964. (PN 98 B7 A4 1964 REF)

Lenmark - Ellis, Barbara. How to write themes and term papers. 2nd ed. New York: Barron's Education Series, 1981. (LB 2369 L385 1981 REF)

Northey, Margot and Lorne Tepperman. Making Sense in the Social Sciences: a student's guide to research, writing and style. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1986. (H 91 N67 1986 REF)

Northey, Margot. Making Sense: a students' guide to research, writing and style. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1993. (LB 2369 N67 1993 REF)

Northey, Margot and Maurice R. Legris. Making Sense in the Humanities: a student's guide to writing and style. Toronto, Oxford University Press, 1990. (LB 2369 N675 1990 REF)

Robertson, Hugh. The Research Essay: a guide to essays and papers. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1995. (LB 2369 R633 1995 Ready REF)

Valiukenas, Delija J. Writing with Authority: a Guide to the Research Process. 1st ed. New York: Random House, 1987. (LB 2369 V25 1987 Ready REF)

These books are located in the Reference Collection and are non-circulating. For guides you may sign out, see the heading, "English language - Rhetoric" in the Novanet Online Catalogue.