Mathematics Research Guide

1. Explore Your Topic

Before you settle on a topic - or even if you already know what you want to research - you may need to find some background information. The library is a great resource for background information.

2. Refine Your Topic

Now that you've done some background research, it's time to narrow your topic. Remember: the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic needs to be. 

3. Find Sources

After you've refined your topic, it's time to start searching for sources. Do you need articles, data, or something else?

4. Search Effectively

At this point, you may need to adjust your search terms in order to find what you're looking for. Think about keywords, synonyms, and all the search tools available for you through the library.

5. Evaluate Your Sources

It's always a good idea to evaluate sources before using them in an assignment. Do your sources need to be scholarly? Do they have to be journal articles or conference proceedings, or do you need something like a standard or code?

You can evaluate any source using the 5 Ws:

• Who: ...created it? What is their background with relation to this subject?
• What: ...is the purpose of this resource? What do others have to say about the people behind the resource?
  • For example, is it sponsored by a company that has a financial interest in the topic?
• Where: ...was this information published? Where does the information come from?
• When: ...was this published or last updated?
• Why: ...is this resource useful? Why is this resource better than other ones?

6. Write!

Pull everything together to share your argument and your evidence. Tie ideas from your sources together with your own thoughts and analysis to make a compelling case.