The document provides guidance on conducting research for a research paper. It discusses selecting a topic, conducting research through libraries and online resources, and the types of reference works and tools available in libraries. Key resources mentioned include reference works like bibliographies, atlases, and encyclopedias; online library catalogs to search for books and articles; and research tools like microforms, media centers, photocopiers, and interlibrary loans.

1. Research paper as a form of exploration and communication Both of these types of papers will be the most common you will have to research for. Exploration is the fact that you are finding out stuff that you did not know before the paper was presented to you. On the other hand communication is based of prior knowledge to a subject and you are trying to make a point to an audience or certain individual.

2. Selecting a topic One of two things will happen when selecting a topic. One being you will be given a certain topic by your teacher, or you will have the freedom of choice with teachers approval. When selecting a topic you should fine a general topic and try to refine it. You should base you topic choosing off what the class is learning at the time.

3. Conducting research After you have selected a topic it is time to get down a dirty and do some major researching. Research can be done in many places, especially ones with technology. Technology is vital to the modern day research. Another common place to do research would be to head down to the library and spend a few hours there.

4. Library There is many many many things that a library can offer to you. If you go to a library and you are lost there will always be librarians around to help you out with finding anything. Another thing to go to if you are lost in a library you can find a library research source which will help you find books, articles etc.

5. Reference works There a a lot of types of reference works you will mostly find at a library. Bibliographies and biographies are all easy ways for you to get a lot of information about certain people. Yearbooks and Almanacs are great ways to look up certain things like stats, where someone went to school, what someone majored in.

6. Reference works continued If you are looking to find out things on a map you would most likely look for an Atlas or Gazettes can provide geographical information. You can look through Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Thesauruses. Lastly you can look though a collection of abstracts which include Newspaper, periodical abstracts, review digests, biological abstracts and dissertation abstracts.

7. Online Library catalog The best part about the library catalog will be that you can pretty much have a library at home! Through a library catalog you can find a lot of different types of searches. These searches include Title, Author, Call Number, Keyword, Boolean and all other types of advanced search. These will all be helpful to you if you do not have intentions of going to a library.

8. Last of the Library resources. The last resources that a library offers Micro forms (printed matter reduced by size), Media center (VHS or DVD), Electronic (photocopier, computers) and Inter library loans (most libraries have agreements for the exchange of research materials)

9. Web sources There are a range of web sources you can use to do research. The most common is a library catalog. Another thing you can use are recommended sites. Also Gateway sites can be very helpful to you. Lastly just searching the web will be a helpful tool to doing research.

10. Vocabulary Primary Research - The study of a subject through firsthand investigation, such as analyzing a literary or historical text, a film, or a performance; conducting a survey or an interview; or carrying out a laboratory experiment. Secondary Research - The examination of studies that other researchers have made of a subject. Worldcat - Online database that lists the holdings of over ten thousand libraries and can help you find a copy in a nearby library. Microforms - Printed matter greatly reduced in size by microphotography. They are often used to store newspaper and magazine articles. Abstracts - Present summaries of journal articles and other literature. Abstracts help you screen out works irrelevant to your research.