Beat the Block: Research & References

Let the research do the work for you

In my years of tutoring and consulting, I have found that the hardest prompts for students to complete are those that require research. Whether that involves full articles or chapters from the textbook, there is something about pulling information that causes additional stress. Let’s be honest, most people dread a research paper. Does that sound like you?

You’ve been assigned a research paper and are now racking up the to-do list in your brain. Not only do you have to fight through the internet to find scholarly articles that relate to your topic, but you also have to re-read everything from class to find specific examples. While there is no cheat code to writing these papers, I have some advice that can make the research and writing process a little easier and a lot less stressful.

Before you start writing

1. Use what you know. Start your outline with bare bones using what you know. You are going to supplement your essay with research, so doing the outline first will provide you with direction and help you determine what you need to research.

2. Research like a pro. Many teachers provide notes and textbook chapters that they would like you to reference. Use this to your advantage. You can quickly look through your notes and textbooks to find headings that directly acknowledge your topic. Note these in your outline to save time later. Also, websites like Google Scholar are great for filtering out biased gossip articles.

3. Skim through potentials. If you are not provided with sources and have to search on your own... skim through articles. You do not have to read every potential article in depth. Many of these articles will not be useable, and reading them fully may be a waste of time.

4. One solid read-through. This one may not seem like a time saver at first, but it will be in the end. Reading through the sources that you will use in your paper helps you understand how you can use the research to your benefit. While reading, add notes to your outline or highlight quotes that can be directly added to your paper. Throw these quotes into your outline (note which source they came from). If there are no exact pieces of evidence, write 2-3 sentences paraphrasing the source to use for reference later.

5. Cite first. If you are provided with articles or textbooks that you are required to use throughout your essay, get those citations done first. Throw them at the bottom of your paper in the reference section. It will make your in-text citations that much easier. Then when you’ve found your other sources throw them down there too before you start writing.

By the time you reach this point, you will likely have a beefy outline with all your sources ready to go at the bottom of your document. All that's left to do is to connect the dots. Let your outline be your guide and add your thoughts and insights in between the information already provided by your sources. Writing a research paper is typically time-consuming, but with these tips, along with those of the Beat the Block series, you will see the writing process become more streamlined and effective. Don’t forget to cite your sources, and if you need help with any assignment, reach out or book your session today!

Erin Bitinaitis

M.S. Psychology

Better than Books LLC