AFPRL 32100 Caribbean Migration and New York City

Managing the Research Process

Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students

Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students, produced by Bowdoin College Professor of History Patrick Rael, provides a comprehensive overview of the entire historical research process, including insights into:

• Developing Historical Arguments
• Reading Primary and Secondary Sources
• Conducting Research
• Structuring Your Paper
• Writing Your Paper
• Working with Sources
• Editing and Evaluation

Note: The research and writing process is not always linear. Keep in mind you may need to go forward or backwards.

1: Understand the Assignment & Select a Topic

• Read through and understand your assignment (from UNC). Contact or visit your instructor's office hours with questions.
• Select a workable topic (from Colorado State)
• Conduct preliminary investigation into topic using using an Online Encyclopedia or other web based general reference tools. Work to understand your topic and the issues surrounding.
• Write down 5-10 keywords about your topic including terms, jargon, events, people, places, etc. to use when you search for sources.

Percent time spent on this step: 8%

2: Draft Research Questions and/or a Thesis

• Revise and narrow topic as needed. Many students think this is one of the hardest steps!
• Move from topic to develop a thesis statement (from Harvard).
• Moving from Topic to Thesis (from Colorado State)
• Get online or in-person writing support from Hunter College's Rockowitz Writing Center

Percent time spent on this step: 7%

3: Find/Evaluate Evidence & Sources

• Design your research strategy and try different keywords until you get results that are useful.
• As you conduct research and gather sources ask yourself what can a particular source do for me? How will I use this evidence?
• As background or to provide a context?
• To introduce and situate your thesis within existing conversation on topic?
• To demonstrate the value of your working research question?
• To support or counter an argument?
• Gather and read different types of sources or evidence.
• Search Library Catalogs to find Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• What does it mean to be a scholarly source? (video)
• Websites and news (Spend time evaluating any site before using it for academic work) (video)
• Gather information on your sources for your bibliography.

Percent time spent on this step: 20%

4: Critically Read & Evaluate Sources

• Evaluate sources based on your research question or working thesis.
• Use critical reading strategies (PDF from the University of Minnesota)
• Take notes on readings while reading. Make notes on margins. Use tools to comment or highlight PDFs.
• To introduce and situate your thesis within existing conversation on topic?
• Try close reading (from Harvard) and read to write strategies (from UNC).
• Conduct more research to fill in gaps as needed (see step 3).

Percent time spent on this step: 25%

5: Develop Structure. Draft Paper with Citations.

• Polish or refine your arguments as a response to your research question (from Wisconsin).
• Organize your thoughts and your paper's structure. Try the following techniques:
• Outlines (from Indiana).
• Diagram such as brainstorming (from UNC), concept mapping, idea trees or quadrants.
• Talk out your structure. Record yourself talking about your topic and ideas. Transcribe your thoughts to the computer.
• Get online or in-person writing support from Hunter College's Rockowitz Writing Center
• If you are ready to start writing, begin with segments or chunks, not necessarily the introduction or in sequence. As you write you will discover more of what you want to say.

Percent time spent on this step: 5%

6: Write First Draft

Keep in mind there are many ways to approach writing your first draft. You do not have to start at the beginning. Instead begin drafting segments or chunks. Concentrate on writing your rough ideas and not on revising.

• Draft additional segments. Develop connections between segments.
• Take breaks. Use breaks as a way to keep your brain and your writing fresh.
• As you incorporate others' ideas or words into your paper be sure to cite your sources with in-text citations. Ask your instructor if you are unsure on which citation style to use (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.).
• Organize your thoughts and your paper's structure. Try the following techniques:
• Outlines (from Indiana).
• Diagram such as brainstorming (from UNC), concept mapping, idea trees or quadrants.
• Talk out your structure. Record yourself talking about your topic and ideas. Transcribe your thoughts to the computer.
• Get online or in-person writing support from Hunter College's Rockowitz Writing Center
• Conduct more research to fill in gaps as needed (see step 3).

Percent time spent on this step: 20%

7: Revise & Rewrite—Focus On Content

• In light of your draft, you might need to revise your thesis.
• Revising Your Draft (from Harvard).
• Revising Drafts (from UNC)
• Talk out your structure. Record yourself talking about your topic and ideas. Transcribe your thoughts to the computer.
• Use Turnitin's Feedback Studio to hone your style, grammar, and content.
• Draft your bibliography or works cited page using Zotero Be sure to double check the citations!
• Get online or in-person writing support from Hunter College's Rockowitz Writing Center

Percent time spent on this step: 10%

8: Polish & Put Paper in Final Form

• Use Turnitin's Feedback Studio to hone your style, grammar, and content.
• Editing and Proofreading Strategies PDF (from University of Minnesota).
• Style, Grammar, and Editing Tools (from Hunter's Rockowitz Writing Center).
• Editing Your Paper( from Harvard).
• Check citations and formatting.
• Resources for Multilingual Writers (from University of Minnesota).

Percent time spent on this step: 5%

Adapted from the University of Minnesota Library's Research Paper Guide