Academic Research Skills Guide

Enter the start date and due date of your assignment into the Assignment Calculator to get yourself organized right from the start.

When choosing a research topic for your term paper, read the assignment description and ask yourself the following questions: 

1. What topics interest me? Consider issues discussed in class, current events, and anything you're curious about, even if you don't think they relate to your course. You might be surprised at the connections you can make! 
2. How long does my paper need to be? Term paper lengths vary, so keep the length of your paper in mind when choosing a topic. If your topic is too specific, you may not have enough material to write about. If your topic is too broad, you may run over the page limit. 

For more help choosing a topic, visit the Choosing a research topic page of this guide.

A bend in the road: Have you registered your Dal card with the library? 

Before the next step in the research roadmap, you need to make sure your Dal card is registered as your library card. You can do this through an online registration form on the Dalhousie Libraries' website or in person at any of the Libraries' service points. 

A major part of the research process is searching for information. To help you with your search, check out the Dalhousie Libraries' Research Guides. These guides are collections of key resources created by librarians to assist with your research. 

Here are a few types of information resources that you might want to search for:

Reference Sources

Reference sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, are excellent for looking up both general background information on a topic and specific facts and figures. 

Scholarly/Academic Books and Articles

Scholarly books and articles are the most common information resources used in term paper research. Books and articles can be found through searching in Novanet.

Articles can also be found in databases. The A-Z Databases List can be sorted by subject to find the database most relevant to your research topic. Keep in mind that there are also multidisciplinary databases, such as Academic Search Premier, which cover a wide range of topics. 

Media Commentary 

Finding media commentary on your topic can also be useful. Dalhousie Libraries' collected print/online magazines and newspapers can be helpful for this kind of research. These collections can be accessed through the Newspapers Research Guide.

Once you have found a variety of relevant sources, it's time to get reading. While you read, be sure to highlight any quotes that seem important and take notes as you go. Jot down any questions or thoughts that come to mind, and write down key terms and points. 

Next, use your notes to write an outline of the paper. Think of each resource as a building block: How do they fit together to build your argument? Figuring this out at the outline stage will save you time later.

Use your outline to structure and guide your writing. 

If you struggle with this step, be sure to take a detour to the Dalhousie University Writing Centre to receive assistance with your writing. In-person and online appointments are available. Fill out the intake form to get started!

Don't forget to cite your sources. The various resources you read for your paper require explicit credit through citations. Your assignment instructions will likely indicate what citation style to use. If you are unsure what citation style to use or how to cite a particular resource, ask a librarian for assistance or use the Citation Style Guide. 

Your research may require that you occasionally backtrack and return to previous checkpoints — this is totally normal.

For example, as you search you may decide that your topic is too general (you're overwhelmed by all the information you find) or too specific (you can't find enough on your topic). Return to the first stretch of the roadmap and revise your topic choice.

Or you may read an amazing article that introduces a new aspect of your topic and want more literature that tackles this aspect. Return to the second stretch of the roadmap and continue your search. 

Or, as you write, you may develop new thoughts on your topic that are not reflected in the original outline of your argument. Return to the third stretch of the map and re-work your outline. 

Use this roadmap to structure your research process but don't be afraid to follow the route backwards whenever necessary! And for more information on term paper research, consult the videos below.