Research Skills for Developing Writers: Language of the Research Process

• Directions: Read the paragraph summarizing the research process steps.  Then, in the section below, choose one synonym for each underlined word.  
• All of the synonyms are already words used in the paragraph.

"Tips for Following the Research Process"

   Following the research process will help you choose the best sources for your research assignment.  Selecting an interesting topic is important because your topic is the basis for the rest of your work.  After choosing an interesting topic, performing some background research to gather basic information will help you develop your research question.  When you are doing your background research, write down some questions you have about what you are reading--these can be ideas for your research question.  All of the information you collect, read, and analyze will be used to support your research question.  You will need to decide which information is most important to answer your research question.  While evaluating the sources you find, you also need to evaluate your research question compared to the information.  Continue to gather and separate the information you want to use in your project.  You can begin to synthesize the information by taking notes, choosing quotes, listing APA references, and paraphrasing important ideas.  When you are ready to organize and prepare your project, talk to your instructor or a librarian to discuss ideas about the best way to express your research for the assignment.

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