What Does the Assignment Calculator Do?
- Helps you finish your assignment on time and on target
- Gives you an action plan with target due dates
- Outlines the process of researching and writing step by step
- Provides guidance for each step of the process
- Lets you add each step to your Google calendar
Remember: Each project is different, so if you need more help with your research, AskUs.
Find overview/background information
- Use encyclopedias to find an overview or identify context. Macalester has many general and subject focused encyclopedias both online and in our print collection. Credo Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and Oxford Reference Online are collections that allow you to search many reference books and encyclopedias at once.
- Begin to identify search terms brainstorm words that you feel reflect main concepts of your topic. Try searching with different combinations of these words. Look for related terms that appear in your search results. When searching library research databases pay extra attention to words identified as "Subjects" or "Descriptors," these are specific to a particular topic within the database you are searching.
Form a research question to focus your research
- Ask a question you want to know the answer to. Create a concept map to focus your research and identify relationships between concepts.
- Be prepared to modify your research question to achieve a manageable focus. Research Strategies and Tips: Narrow or Broaden Your Topic
- Consult with an expert: talk to your professor or librarian for assistance in developing an appropriate research question for your project.
- Put your thesis statement in the form of a question. Formulating a Good Thesis Statement.
Your topic will reflect both the requirements of the assignment and your personal interest. Initially, research the topic through overviews and class readings and discussions. This will help you formulate a draft research question that will be the focus of your project. Your research question may change as you conduct more in-depth research.
Understand the assignment. What are you being asked to do?
Do you need a better understanding of background or other contextual information?
Consider who creates or has the kind of information you want. This can guide you on where and how to do your searching.
Identify types of sources needed:
- Criticism, data, academic journals, trade journals, popular magazines, interviews, web sites, newspapers, government reports/documents, books, measures, empirical research.
Do you need primary sources or secondary sources?
Should you be using peer-reviewed sources?
- Peer reviewed journals have their content reviewed by experts in the field of study.
- Library Research Databases. Library research databases can be used to find articles in journals, magazines, and newspapers. Watch for "MacLinks" to find ways to get complete articles.
- Google Scholar. Google Scholar is a search tool that identifies scholarly research materials. Google Scholar can be used to identify some of the articles available in journals that Macalester subscribes to. Remember, though, just searching Google Scholar will not give you the full picture of the resources available on your topic. Make sure that you also use library research databases.
- Library Subject and Course Guides. Guides created by your subject librarian for your field of study. These guides highlight the most important research databases for the subject as well as important reference sources, citation and plagiarism information.
Different sources may be collected, indexed, and made available in many different ways. Understanding the differences between databases, search engines, catalogs, and other tools for finding sources will help you locate the most efficient resources for your needs. You will likely use several of these different resources for your research.
- Librarians can offer suggestions on where to get started on your research. Request an in-person consultation from the AskUs page.
Citation Management - Keep track of sources using citation management tool:
- Citation management tools allow a user to organize and retrieve information, such as citations for books, articles, and other resources while interfacing with library databases. The citation manager then works with word-processing software to insert properly formatted footnotes or citations into a paper and create a properly formatted bibliography.
You need to know how to efficiently use databases, search engines and other tools. We provide tips for some of the most-used resources, but always look for "Help" within the database or search engine. Keep track of your search strategies and successes within each resource. Consider using a citation management program that helps you collect and organize sources, such as RefWorks or Zotero.
Know Your MacLinks
- To learn more: Check out the MacLinks Tutorial
- Click on MacLinks to find out if Macalester has the article/book you are need.
- MacLinks will: link you to fulltext (when available); link you to WorldCat to determine if Mac owns a particular book; help you create an interlibrary loan request for articles/books not owned by Mac; and save citations directly to RefWorks.
- Use to find out if Macalester has the journal issue containing an article you want.
- Use to find out if Macalester has the item (book, journal, DVD, etc.) you want.
- Check out our WorldCat Tutorial
- Get materials from other libraries. ILLIAD requests usually arrive within a week, but may take longer.
- REQUEST: Note: You cannot request e-books or articles through this Request process
- INTERLIBRARY LOAN: Obtain books not available at Mac, articles not available at Mac, and other materials not available at Mac. Use "Request items through interlibrary loan" button in WorldCat, or the MacLinks interlibrary loan option, or login directly to Illiad (use your Mac username and password to login).
Getting materials can be a challenging part of research: you know what you want but not how to get it. Be sure to check with a librarian for help with this. Some sources are fully available online, either freely or through a subscription that Macalester pays for. Many more sources are available only in print (books, journals) or can be obtained for you through interlibrary loan. WorldCat, MacLinks and the Journal Search will help you determine which sources are available at Mac, but don't give up if it seems the source isn't here. The library is here to help!
You will critically evaluate every source you look at to determine its credibility and usefulness. (Remember that you may need to evaluate and incorporate information that contradicts your position or research question.) Your research question may change as you as you discover more information. You should continue to question what you have found and what you are still missing. Organizing and managing your sources and references helps you to organize your projects and avoid unintentional plagiarism.
MAX Center - Writing resources from our own MAX Center.
Write Well! - A series of Microlectures (1 minute each) on writing, created by Macalester faculty and staff.
Seriously, talk to your professor
Revise, revise, revise, revise, revise, revise, and then revise.
Citing properly - check out: MAX Center hand-outs, Library Citing and Writing Resources Guide
Good writing is a must for all your projects, including oral presentations and Power Point slides. You will also need to use proper citation styles for the sources you have found in your research. Your Professor may require a certain "style" (e.g. MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) or they may ask you to pick one and stick to it.
- Media Services provides poster printing
- Digital Resource Center provides Poster Printer PowerPoint Templates
- Level 2 and the Idea Lab - Group Study Spaces are available for you to rehearse your presentation. Data projector available for checkout as well.
Consider issues such as
There are many resources available to help you with the final project of your research, whether that is a paper, a poster session, an oral presentation, a web site, or just about anything else.