English 103 - Critical/Argumentative Writing - Professor Morrison: Home

English 103 -Critical & Argumentative Writing 

Breaking Down The Research Process                                                            

The following outline is an effective strategy for finding information for a research paper and documenting sources. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs.     

1. Choose a topic - or have one assigned                                                                                                        
2. Understand your topic
   • Background reading
   • Consider a main focus
   • Refine your topic
   • Make a list of your keywords and concepts
3. Search for Sources based on assignment requirements
   • Find Books
   • Find Articles
   • Find Websites
4. Write your paper - Informative, Analytical, Argumentative, Critical
5. Cite your sources

As you prepare for your research process keep in mind the Information Timeline and how the information that is available on a topic evolves as time passes. First, we have brief news stories available either online or in print newspapers or on broadcast television news; later more in-depth information is available in magazine articles; then journal articles, followed by books; after several years, you will start to see encyclopedias. Watch this Information Cycle video to help you understand the sources you will need to write your research paper.

Information Literacy

Information literacy is the ability to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to find, evaluate, use, and communicate information in all its various formats. "To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." ` American Library Association Presidential Committee on Information Literacy, Final Report, 1989. 

As an academic library, Cerritos College Library is committed to teaching scholars the new Framework for Information Literacy Standards adopted by Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL). 

Work Cited

"The Information Cycle." YouTube, uploaded by University of Washington Libraries, 22 June 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jALv7nVEwQM. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024

Professor Sukena's Contact Info:

Email: staibjee@cerritos.edu

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