The research and writing process isn't a straight line from topic to paper. The best research-based writing and presentations treat research and writing as an interconnected process in which you:
- Choose Your Topic, Refine Your Topic, Create Keywords
- Preliminary background research helps you choose a topic that is well-supported by credible sources of the type that your assignment requires and is interesting to you.
- You'll want to break down your topic into smaller, more manageable ideas. These can then be used as keywords for your searching.
- Find Sources
- Evaluate and Use Sources
- Establish the credibility and quality of the information that you find based on authority and context.
- Write Your Paper and Cite Your Sources
- Use what you've learned through research to support your own work, and give credit for the work of others through citation.