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Ariana Claudio
Ms. Mattie Q. Smith
ERH-101-05
21 October 14
Help Received: Interview with Major Mullen on research process.
Interview on research process and overview of paper with Lieutenant
Colonel Hastings. Ms. Smith looked over essay for clarification
_____________________________________
Path to Success for Writing a Research Essay
Conducting proper research for an essay involves a lengthy process. The World Wide Web is a
tool that can easily be used the wrong way, leading to the use of false information. Research processes
can vary depending on the readily available resources, but the process given will be specific to the Preston
Library. How to properly conduct general but effective online research, while confirming authorship and
verifying the authenticity of the information found, is a practice that will be useful for all cadets
throughout their Virginia Military Institute experience.
Before the online research process begins, the research assignment itself must be analyzed. The
assignment must be investigated because the path taken for research will differ according to the topic. The
first question that needs to be answered is how much is known about the topic given? Secondly, what is
the context of the writing? Who is the audience? What evidence will need to be provided to convince the
readers of the information provided (Lunsford)? What is the purpose of the essay? What is the thesis? The
scope of the essay will need to be determined. The length requirement, the amount of resources, and the
type of resources needed while conducting the research are also important aspects to be considered
(Lunsford). Lastly, time is the backbone of the entire process. Planning ahead is essential to ensure all
steps are completed proficiently. Once all of these steps are completed, then the actual research can begin.
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Although it may be tempting, research should never begin at Google. Surprisingly, “no one is
responsible for regulating information on the Web” (Mullen). To a certain extent, no one knows whether
or not the information searched online is accurate or credible. As stated before, it is important to
remember that the path taken for research will differ according to the topic. To begin, cadets should start
in the reference room at Preston Library. The reference books are organized throughout Preston Library
by subject. The information given is accessible and provides broad background information on the
material being researched. Some books may provide bibliographies or specialized encyclopedias, which
can then lead to detailed information. The books most likely to be found in the reference room include
dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesauruses, and indexes. Although there may be a possibility that the
information given in the reference books is not useful in the research being done, reference books can
provide good ideas for search words. When researching online, one word can completely change the
results. The reference books can provide key words that pertain to the topic which will allow for a
smoother and more accurate search.
The next step in the research process is to use the many research engines that Preston Library
provides. This step in the process will take up the most time because it will involve finding details
regarding the topic. Readily available research engines are accessible directly on the Preston Library
Home page. For instance, The Library Catalog gives access to print materials available in the library and
also electronic resources online. The scope of the search can be chosen between three different tiers
(Hastings). These tiers are the Virginia Military Institute, Local Libraries, or Libraries Worldwide. Once a
topic is searched, a page will display that will provide many results. To allow for the search to become
more effective, the format limiters located on the left side of the screen can direct the results to specific
resources including journals, articles, and computer files. The search can also be refined by author, year,
content, audience, and topic. Another tool provided on the Preston Library Home Page is the A-Z
Databases. A-Z Databases includes over two hundred databases that primarily give articles and journals.
Since choosing a database, given over two hundred, can be quite challenging, a drop down bar is given
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which can lead the research to a specific subject, providing vendor, and database type. The most
recommended database to choose is the Academic Search Complete. Academic Search Complete is a
comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary database that has shown to be the most helpful to all research
topics.
A problem that the majority of students have is being able to find a specific book in the Preston
Library. Although Preston has an extensive amount of books, “no library has everything” (Hastings).
Therefore, Preston Library offers a convenient way of solving this problem. Interlibrary loans are offered
to students who want to request a specific book that is not located in the Preston Library at that moment
in time. Once a request is placed, the location of the book is found by the Library staff. Within a period of
two to three days, the book will be at Preston ready for use.
A challenge that often occurs during the research process is confirming authorship and verifying
the authenticity of information found in online research. Confirming authorship means to determine if the
ideas given are original works of the author. The researcher needs to check if the author’s credentials are
given and if they are suitable for topic being researched. A side search can be done to find out how well
the author is known and if author is an expert in the field of study. Preston Library’s research engines
make the confirmation of authorship and verification of authenticity effortless. The Library staff at
Preston Library carefully reviews the books that are bought for the Library. They give the “seal of
approval” in order to make sure the information being provided to students will be beneficial (Mullen).
Authenticity and credibility of information given is almost guaranteed considering the amount of time it
takes before books are chosen and then reach the Library’s book shelves. In addition, the databases given
are “almost by definition credible” (Hastings). For example, the journals provided are peer reviewed by
experts in a specific subject.
The ability to effectively cite works from research is not the final step. It is interwoven
throughout the entire process. There are several different formats to citing works. For example, a
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researcher can cite works by using the MLA, APA, Chicago, or AMA. The two most commonly used at
colleges are MLA and APA. MLA (Modern Language Association) is used for essays pertaining to liberal
arts and humanities (Purdue OWL). APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used
for social sciences (Purdue OWL). There are effective books that contain directions on how to properly
use the format styles such as The Everyday Writer Fifth Edition by Andrea Lunsford and Easy Writer by
Andrea Lunsford. An online tool that can assist in the use of multiple format styles is Purdue OWL
(Purdue Online Writing Lab). Purdue OWL gives an overview and “how to” guide of each format style. It
discusses the “how to’s” of basic in-text citations, formatting quotations, endnotes, footnotes, books,
periodicals, and electronic sources. Another benefit to the Purdue OWL site is that it gives example
papers and works cited pages for a cadet to reference.
Research is a lengthy process. Although the process given is specific to the Preston Library, it can
essentially be used at any library. The majority of libraries contain reference rooms and research engines
where the same steps can be applied. Although there are many ways of conducting online research, this
process has been proven to work. It is the process that has been used and recommended by the Preston
Librarians to Virginia Military Institute cadets for many years. Attempting to “start an online search at
Google can be compared to trying to find a needle in a hay stack” (Mullen). In contrast to a wellstructured plan, research that is conducted in an unorderly fashion can take an extensive amount of time to
find a single source. Other than books and computers, the Library staff is a key component to an effective
search online. They are always available to help with any questions and can offer an incredible amount of
knowledge.
Word Count: 1310
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Works Cited
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.
Mullen, Accacia Major. Interview. 14 Oct. 2014.
Hastings, Susie Lieutenant Colonel. Interview. 15 Oct. 2014
The Purdue OWL Family of Sites. The Writing Lab and OWL at Purdue and Purdue U, 2008. Web.