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Research Papers & Reports Pathfinder

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Use this pathfinder to select a topic, find books and journal articles, and to organize and write your paper utilizing library resources. 

Selecting a Topic
·         Be sure to pick a topic that is of interest to you and that fits the parameters of your assignment. The more excited you are about your topic, the more motivated you will be to work on your paper!
·         Be sure to have your topic approved by your instructor.
·         Be sure that you can find enough resources to support your conclusions.  
·         Be sure you know your deadlines.   Don’t put off checking out books, they might not be available when you need them. Allow time for books to be requested from other libraries. Interlibrary loans can take up to 10 days.
Helpful Websites:
Select a Topic to Research [1]   Some guidelines from University of Michigan Flint. 
Interesting Topics [2] from Bookwormlab.com


Finding Books at the Library
Search the Library’s Catalog [3]
Search Melcat [4]  for books at libraries across Michigan including academic and special libraries.   Allow 7-10 days for delivery.
Search our e-Book Collection
 We have a number of great books available in electronic format, 24 hours a day/7 days a week through remote access.
Gale Virtual Reference Library [5]
Oxford Reference Online [6]
Facts on File / InfoBase Reference Ebooks [7]
Searching Tip: Always start out with broad search terms and then narrow your results. Try keyword searches until you identify the proper Subject Headings. Advanced searching in our databases will allow you to narrow and focus your results even more.
 
Finding Magazine, Journal or Newspaper Articles
Use a library database to search for articles.    Most of our databases have full-text copies of articles that you can read right from the database.   
Take Note: A database is not a website. Even though you access databases online, they are not websites. Databases contain premium content from reference books, newspapers, journals, magazines that is not readily available from online websites.  
Powersearch it! [8]   Use thiscomprehensive database to get started. Search reference books, journal and newspaper articles, and more in click.
General Reference Center Gold [9] This general database searches magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of subjects.  Find articles from 1980 to the present.
Biography [10]
Business and Investment [11]
Health and Medicine [12]
History and Culture [13]
Literature and Reading [14]
Newspapers [15]
Science [16]
 

To access library databases from home, you will need a valid, up-to-date Bloomfield Township library card.   If you don’t have the card, try the Michigan Electronic Library’s Database Collection [17] available to all Michigan residents. 
 
Finding Good Websites
Websites can be a great resource especially for current information. Make sure you find the good sites though. Is the website authored by a person or group, an educational institution or the government? Is the information current, credible and factual? 
               
Guide for Evaluating a Website [18]
How to Use Wikipedia for Research Papers [19]   Your teacher will not let you cite Wikipedia as a source and even Wikipedia does not encourage use for research, [20] but it can be a good starting point for finding  further sources on a subject. 

Internet Public Library Subject Guide [21] Use this to find great websites compiled by Library Professionals.

 
Writing Your Paper
Find library books on writing good research papers. [22]
Helpful website:
Ipl2 Research and Writing for High School Students [23]
Info Please Homework Center: Writing Skills [24]

Citing Your Sources
Be sure you know the format your teacher requires!  The three most common styles are:
MLA:  Modern Language  Association [25]
APA:   American Psychological Association Style Guide [26]
Chicago: The Chicago Manual of Style [27]
*Consult these books for the most accurate, up-to-date information on citing your sources.
Helpful websites:
Quick Links [28]  from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab aka OWL.
Citing Sources [29] from Duke University

 

Have a Tutor Proofread Your Paper Before You Turn It In!
 
 Tutor.com [30]Live homework help.  Tutors provide instruction in English, Math, Science and Social Studies for students in grades 4 through 12 using a real-time shared computer chat and whiteboard session.  Available every day from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM.    

 


Site Information
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Source URL: http://btpl.org/teen-services/research-papers-reports-pathfinder

Links:
[1] http://www.umflint.edu/library/research/selecttopic.htm
[2] http://www.bookwormlab.com/research-paper-writing/topics.html
[3] http://catalog.btpl.org
[4] http://elibrary.mel.org/search
[5] http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=lom_blfield&authCount=1
[6] http://0-www.oxfordreference.com.catalog.btpl.org/views/GLOBAL.html?authstatuscode=200
[7] http://ebooks.infobasepublishing.com/default.aspx?InstID=269
[8] http://www.btpl.org/node/4239
[9] http://find.galegroup.com/gtx/start.do?prodId=GRGM&userGroupName=lom_blfield
[10] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=21
[11] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=22
[12] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=37
[13] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=35
[14] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=44
[15] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=47
[16] http://www.btpl.org/adult-services/database-details?category=49
[17] http://mel.org/index.php?P=SPT--BrowseResourcesDatabases&ParentId=617
[18] http://www.studygs.net/evaluate.htm
[19] http://www.brighthubeducation.com/help-with-writing/35414-the-right-way-to-use-wikipedia-for-research/
[20] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Academic_use
[21] http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/
[22] http://catalog.btpl.org/search~S3?/dreport+writing/dreport+writing/1%2C6%2C46%2CE/2exact&FF=dreport+writing&1%2C29%2C/indexsort=-
[23] http://www.ipl.org/div/aplus/
[24] http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills1.html
[25] http://catalog.btpl.org/search~S5/?searchtype=t&searcharg=mla+style+manual&searchscope=5&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=1&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tmla+style
[26] http://catalog.btpl.org/search~S5?/tpublication+manual+for+/tpublication+manual+for/-3%2C0%2C0%2CE/2exact&FF=tpublication+manual+of+the+american+psychological+association&1%2C2%2C/indexsort=-
[27] http://catalog.btpl.org/search/t?SEARCH=chicago+manual+of+style&searchscope=5
[28] http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/instruct/guides/citations.html
[29] http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/
[30] http://0-lhh.tutor.com.catalog.btpl.org/?ProgramGUID=62196a6e-5361-4f2f-8815-a6f045ed13a6