Research Methods

Overview

This textbook introduces research as a disciplined process of inquiry. Students learn how to identify information needs, search effectively, evaluate evidence, track sources, avoid plagiarism, use citation systems, and communicate findings responsibly across academic and professional contexts.

Table of Contents

1. Chapter 1: What Research Is
2. Chapter 2: What Information Literacy Means
3. Chapter 3: Research as Inquiry
4. Chapter 4: Information Ecosystems
5. Chapter 5: Research Ethics and Intellectual Responsibility
6. Chapter 6: From Topic to Research Question
7. Chapter 7: Narrowing and Focusing a Topic
8. Chapter 8: Background Research and Context Building
9. Chapter 9: Keywords, Concepts, and Search Terms
10. Chapter 10: Research Plans, Timelines, and Scope
11. Chapter 11: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources
12. Chapter 12: Books, Ebooks, and Reference Works
13. Chapter 13: Scholarly Articles and Peer Review
14. Chapter 14: Newspapers, Magazines, and Popular Sources
15. Chapter 15: Government, Legal, and Statistical Sources
16. Chapter 16: Data, Reports, Images, Maps, Archives, and Multimedia
17. Chapter 17: How Search Works
18. Chapter 18: Library Catalogs and Digital Collections
19. Chapter 19: Academic Databases
20. Chapter 20: Search Engines and Open Web Research
21. Chapter 21: Boolean Operators and Advanced Search
22. Chapter 22: Subject Headings, Filters, and Citation Chaining
23. Chapter 23: Searching the MGU Library Effectively
24. Chapter 24: Saving, Exporting, and Managing Search Results
25. Chapter 25: What Counts as Evidence
26. Chapter 26: Relevance, Credibility, Accuracy, and Authority
27. Chapter 27: Bias, Perspective, and Purpose
28. Chapter 28: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Propaganda
29. Chapter 29: Statistics, Charts, and Data Claims
30. Chapter 30: Images, Videos, Deepfakes, and Visual Evidence
31. Chapter 31: Algorithms, Virality, and Online Attention
32. Chapter 32: Fact-Checking and Verification Methods
33. Chapter 33: Research Notes and Reading Logs
34. Chapter 34: Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation Notes
35. Chapter 35: Annotated Bibliographies
36. Chapter 36: Organizing Sources by Theme
37. Chapter 37: Comparing Sources and Finding Patterns
38. Chapter 38: Synthesis: Turning Sources into Understanding
39. Chapter 39: Why Citation Matters
40. Chapter 40: Plagiarism, Patchwriting, and Source Misuse
41. Chapter 41: Ancient and Classical Literature
42. Chapter 42: In-Text Citations, Footnotes, and Endnotes
43. Chapter 43: Works Cited, References, and Bibliographies
44. Chapter 44: Citation Tools and Their Limits
45. Chapter 45: Responsible Use of AI and Digital Research Tools
46. Chapter 46: Writing Research Papers
47. Chapter 47: Research Presentations, Posters, and Reports
48. Chapter 48: Research Across Disciplines and Lifelong Learning
49. Back Matter

Learning Outcomes

• Formulate research questions and plan research projects effectively.
• Find, evaluate, and organize sources using libraries, databases, and the open web.
• Distinguish between evidence, opinion, bias, and misinformation.
• Track notes, quotations, paraphrases, and source information accurately.
• Use citation systems responsibly to support academic integrity.
• Write research papers and reports that synthesize multiple sources.
• Apply research methods across different academic disciplines.
• Use digital tools, including AI, ethically and responsibly.
• Communicate research findings clearly in papers, posters, and presentations.
• Develop lifelong information literacy and independent research skills.