Researching a Paper
Area, Topic, Question, & Your Research
Area, Topic, Question, & Your Search Terms
Databases & Indexes
Locating Your Articles
Understanding What You Find
Seeley G. Mudd Library | Library Research | Library Research Guides
English in the American University: Researching a Paper
Thinking about library research:
Sometimes it's useful to think about any paper you research as having essentially three distinct aspects:
Although these aspects are distinct--for example, you don't want to confuse a topic with a thesis--they can and should be related, and they will affect one another. Also, they may change as you work through your research and writing.
