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KIN 104 - Fitness & Wellness - Resources - Professor O'Connor: Your Assignment

Your Fitness & Wellness Research Guide

Hello From Your Librarian!

This research guide was created for Professor O'Connor's KIN104 class to help you with your research assignments. It lists library resources you can also use throughout the semester to help you get more information on the fitness and wellness related topics you're learning about in this class. The guide will be available all semester from the index in your Canvas site and from the Library Home Page > Research Guides > Featured Guides. Librarians are here to help. Just stop by, chat, or email us at any time.

Getting Reliable Information for Your College Classes

Fitness & Wellness

Health discovery Infographic

What You Need to Know

Understanding Your Assignment

Before you begin looking for information you should make sure you understand your assignment. Some good questions are:

  • How many pages?
  • How many sources?
  • What kinds of sources?
    • Books
    • Articles
    • Websites
  • What format?

Your professor is your best resource to answer these questions.

image of student with her hand raised

Controversial Issue Paper

image of scaleWriting an argumenative paper on a controversial issue requires that you look at both sides of an issue and take a position on one side or the other.  You not only take a stand on an issue, but you must defend it against opposing points of view.  Therefore, your argumentative research paper will involve advocacy and persuasion. 

What to do:

  • Select your topic
  • Research the issues surrounding the topic
  • Read other writers’ arguments for and against
  • Take a stand
  • Present supporting evidence in favor of your position
  • Defend your position against opposing points of view
  • Anticipate and deflect arguments against your position
  • Make your case persuasively 

KIN 104 - Your Assignment

Myths About Fitness and Wellness

Choose a common myth about food and health.

Survey 10 people about the myth.

Gather facts about the myth:

  • Find at least three scholarly, peer reviewed, empirical research journal articles you get from the Cerritos College Library databases 
  • Find one other scientific source such as your textbook, a website ending in .edu or .gov

Use the results of your survey and your research to write a 3-5 page paper that includes your survey results as well as the facts you discovered about the myth you are researching. Your paper will need to:

  • Introduce your topic
  • Review the results of your survey
  • Explain two different misconceptions held by survey participants and why they feel that way
  • Present the facts you found by doing your research.
  • Explain how we can help dispel this myth.
  • Be in MLA format.
  • Include a Works Cited page.

Remember, the articles you found should lend weight to your discussion. Use them in your paper by quoting or paraphrasing and citing. List them on your Works Cited page. 

Look here to learn about the information timeline and what qualifies as a reliable source.



About KIN 104

This course is designed to cover topics related to health and wellness including principles of fitness, nutrition, coronary heart disease, and stress management. It focuses on fitness components such as cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition. Individualized exercise prescription is provided for each student to improve his/her fitness components. 

Research Basics - Step by Step

Breaking Down The Research Process  

  research process image

The following outline gives a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper and documenting the sources you find. 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. We are ready to help you at every step in your research.

  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 Sources
    • Find Books
    • Find Articles
    • Find Websites
  4. Write your paper - Informative, Analytical, Argumentative, Critical
  5. Cite your sources

            College Level Research

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