Get Started Not sure how to get started on a research paper? Whether you are writing a class paper or thinking about your dissertation, this is the place to start for the nuts and bolts of how to write a research paper.

How to Search Library Databases

• Searching Techniques: EBSCOhost - https://www.youtube.com/embed/fdRiD71Y6cg
• Searching Techniques: ProQuest - https://www.youtube.com/embed/PJehp1cNdnY
• SAGE Research Methods - http://campuslibrary.rockies.edu/ezproxy.aspx?url=http://www.srmo.sagepub.com/page/tips-and-tutorials/tutorials#SRMO_Demo
• Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print - http://buros.org/frequently-asked-questions
• Ebrary (ebooks) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueDvI4dQXhs&index=3&list=PL-aFAdxOSTDe55g_BFQf_3ipSV1Ru4TBw
• Library Tutorials - http://campuslibrary.rockies.edu/tutorials.aspx

Writing a Research Paper

• Steps in Writing a Research Paper. Retrieved from https://www.esc.edu/online-writing-center/resources/research/research-paper-steps/
• Writing a Research Paper https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/
• Choosing Your Thesis or Dissertation Topic - http://www.unc.edu/~nielsen/special/s3/disstopics.htm
• The Structure of Research - http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/strucres.php
• How to Write a Great PhD Dissertation Study - http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~priya/ICSOC-PhDSymp-2006-dist.pdf
• FAQs About Research - http://dissertationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/FAQwhat-is-research.pdf
• Research Concept Paper - http://www.statisticssolutions.com/research-concept-paper/
• Crafting a Problem Statement - http://dissertationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Creating-the-Problem-Statement.pdf
• Creating a Research Box: Making Every Class Count – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lrgSc215Is
• Planning a Dissertation - http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/dissertations/
• Writing Your Dissertation - http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/dissertations/
• Doing Research Right - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRENqPlL798
• Doing Research the Right Way - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBI7BuE1PT

Time Management

• Clark, J. C. (2008). Dissertation do’s.  gradPSYCH Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/features/2008/mistakes.aspx
• Gritter, E. (2011). Time management tips for dissertation writing.  Retrieved from http://www.stcloudstate.edu/hied/doctoral/documents/Time_Management_Tips.pdf
• Price, M. (2009, September).  Dissertation roadblocks.gradPSYCH Magazine, 7(3), 24. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2009/09/dissertation.aspx
• Williams-Nickelson, C. (2006, March).  Overcoming dissertation roadblocks.gradPSYCH Magazine, 4(2).Retrieved from American Psychological Association Website: http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2006/03/matters.aspx

Identifying a Topic

• Evaluate your own research question—Worksheet  https://www.esc.edu/online-writing-center/resources/research/research-paper-steps/developing-questions/worksheet-evaluate-research-question/
• International Development Research Center (IRDC) (n.d.). Module 3: Identifying and prioritizing topics for research. Retrieved from<http://web.idrc.ca/en/ev-56595-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
• Mind Mapping Your Topic Demo http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/mindMap/sample.php
• Narrow your Topic  http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/narrowyourtopic/
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2012). Choosing a topic. Retrieved from Purdue University's Web site:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/03/
• Simon, M. (2011). Choosing your research project/topic.  What type of cook (researcher) are you? In Dissertation and scholarly research: Recipes for success. Retrieved from http://dissertationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Choosing-Your-Research-Project.pdf
• Topic Narrowing  https://www.library.unlv.edu/services/instruction/tutorials/topic_narrowing/
• Weber State University Stewart Library (2009). Selecting a research topic. Retrieved from Weber State University's Web site: http://library.weber.edu/ref/guides/howto/topicselection.cfm

Formulating a Research Problem

• Academic Writer (2000).  Research gaps.  Retrieved from http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/academicwriter/Evidence/Secondary%20Sources/researchgaps.htm
• Gerber, R. (n.d.).  Research problem.  Retrieved from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Web site:  http://nmmu.ac.za/robert/resprobl.htm 
• Hemmings, S., & Hollows, A. (n.d.).  Formulating the research question.  In Companion for Undergraduate Dissertations.  Retrieved from  http://www.socscidiss.bham.ac.uk/research-question.html. 
• Lipowski, E. E. (2008).  Developing great research questions.  American Journal of Health-System Pharmacology, 65 (1), 1667-1670.  Retrieved from  http://www.ashpfoundation.org/MainMenuCategories/ResearchResourceCenter/FosteringYoungInvestigators/AJHPResearchFundamentalsSeries/Developinggreatresearchquestions.aspx
• Russell, C. L. (n.d.).  Writing your research question.  Retrieved from NATCO’s website:  http://www.natco1.org/research/files/ResearchQuestion_001.pdf
• Sandberg, J., & Alvesson, M. (2011).  Ways of constructing research questions: Gap-spotting or problematization?.  Organization, 18 (1), p. 23-44.  doiI: 10.1177/1350508410372151  Retrieved from   http://org.sagepub.com/content/18/1/23
ht http://journals.sagepub.com.proxy-campuslibrary.rockies.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/1350508410372151
• Stuermer, M. (2009).  Find the gap: About research question development, literature review, and the publishing process.  Retrieved from http://www.smi.ethz.ch/education/courses/lectureslides/BOSW_2_ResearchQuestion.pdf
• Trochim, W. M. K. (2006).  Types of questions.  In Research Methods Knowledge Base.  Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/resques.php

Quality and Trustworthiness of Research

• Barnham, C. (2015). Quantitative and qualitative research. International Journal of Market Research, 57(6), 837-854. doi:10.2501/IJMR-2015-070
• Coughlin, M., Cronin, P., & Ryan, F. (2007). Step by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1: Quantitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(11), 658-663.
• Freeman, M., deMarrais, K., Preissle, J., Roulston, K., & St. Pierre, E. A. (2007). Standards of evidence in qualitative research:  An incitement to discourse. Educational Researcher, 36(1), 25-32
• Golafshani, N. (2003, December). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-607. 
• Kirkman, C. (2008). Establishing truthfulness, consistency and transferability. Nurse Researcher, 15(4), 68.
• Morse, J. M. (2006). Insight, inference, evidence, and verification: Creating a legitimate discipline. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 1-7. Retrieved from http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/5_1/PDF/morse.pdf
• Morse, J. M., & Mitcham, C. (2002). Exploring qualitatively-derived concepts: Inductive—deductive pitfalls. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1(4).
• Morse, J. M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K., & Spiers, J. (2002, spring). Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1(2), 1-19.
• Park, J., & Park, M. (2016). Qualitative versus quantitative research methods: Discovery or justification?. Journal of Marketing Thought, 3(1), 1-7.  doi:10.15577/jmt.2016.03.01.1
• Polkinghorne, D. E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 137-145. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.137
• Ryan, F., Coughlin, M. & Cronin, P. (2007).  Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part II: Qualitative research.  British Journal of Nursing, 16(12), 738-744.
• Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22 (2), 63-75. 
• Smith, G. T. (2005, December). On construct validity: Issues of method and measurement. Psychological Assessment, 17(4), 396-408. (ERIC Accession Number: EJ735229)
• Smith, T., Scahill, L., Dawson, G., Guthrie, D., Lord, C., Odom, S., & ... Wagner, A. (2007). Designing research studies on psychosocial interventions in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(2), 354-366.  doi: 10.1007/s10803-006-0173-3
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Construct validity. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/constval.php
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  External validity. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from (http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/external.php 
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Internal validity. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/intval.php
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Non-probability sampling. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampnon.php
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Probability sampling. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampprob.php
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Sampling. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampterm.php 
• Trochim, W. M. (2006).  Statistical terms in sampling. In W. M. Trochim, The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/sampstat.php 
• Westen, D., & Rosenthal, R. (2005). Improving construct validity: Cronbach, Meehl, and Neurath's Ship—Comment. Psychological Assessment, 17(4), 409-412. (ERIC Accession Number: EJ735230)
• Winter, G. (2000).  A comparative discussion of the notion of 'validity' in qualitative and quantitative research. The Qualitative Report, 4(3/4),1-14.  Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR4-3/winter.html

Ethics of Research

• Alvino, L. A. (2003). Who’s watching the watchdogs? Responding to the erosion of research ethics by enforcing promises. Columbia Law Review, 103(893), 823-924.
• American Psychological Association. (1989). Ethical principles in the conduct of research with human participants.Washington, DC: Author.
• American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/  
• Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) online training in human subjects’ protection.  Access at https://www.citiprogram.org/default.asp
• Gershon, A. S., & Tu, J. V. (2008, March 25). The effect of privacy legislation on observational research. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(7), 871-873.
• Kaufman, C. E., & Ramarao, S. (2005, April). Community confidentiality, consent, and the individual research process: Implications for demographic research. Population Research and Policy Review, 24(2), 149-173.
• Kripalani, S., Bengtzen, R., Henderson, L., E., & Jacobson, T. A. (2008). Clinical research in low-literacy populations: Using teach-back to assess comprehension of informed consent and privacy information. IRB: Ethics & Human Research, 30(2), 13-19.
• Maschke, K. J. (2008, March). Human research protections: Time for regulatory reform? Hastings Center Report, 38(2), 19-22.
• Orb, A., Eisenhauer, L., & Wynaden, D. (2001). Ethics in qualitative research. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 33(1), 93.  Retrieved from  http://www.columbia.edu/~mvp19/RMC/M5/QualEthics.pdf
• Pearson, G. (2009, July). The researcher as hooligan: Where ‘participant’ observation means breaking the law. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 12(3), 243-255.
• Roberts, L. W. (2006). Ethical principles and practices for research involving human participants with mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 57(4), 552 – 557.
• van den Borne, F. (2007). Using mystery clients to assess condom negotiation in Malawi: Some ethical concerns. Studies in Family Planning, 38(4), 322-330.
Wolf, S. M., Paradise, J., & Caga-anan, C. (2008, Summer). The law of incidental findings in human subjects research: Establishing researchers' duties. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 36(2), 361-383.