SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Northeastern
Seminary
(
*Develop
a focused thesis statement—do not try to answer five or six questions, but
rather formulate a central research problem to be resolved by your
research. Research papers that try to
answer too many questions are like Afghan anti-aircraft artillery gunners that
shoot wildly at the sky—they make a lot of noise but fail to hit their intended
targets. A 20-page paper that answers
one question thoroughly has a better chance of getting that coveted “V” than
the paper that covers more questions than a 10-year-old can ask.
*Formulate
your search strategy carefully—do some preliminary reading on the subject as
you refine the thesis statement. Read
the most recent works on your topic to assess the state-of-the-art—where
research on the subject stands. Unless
your topic warrants the selection, avoid works published more than twenty years
ago—scholarship in theology and religion has proliferated since 1980, and
publishing flourishes unabated. In many
cases, major theses/theories have been overturned, and your paper should
demonstrate that you understand where your subject stands today. This means making a research effort—using
library catalogs (including ‘Roaring Cat’), databases such as OCLC’s WorldCat
and the ATLA Religion Database, and interlibrary loan. Going to the library’s shelves and picking a
half-dozen books off the shelf just won’t work at the graduate level—so plan to
spend some time using electronic search tools to find materials in other
libraries. Ask a librarian for help.
*Keep
a bookmarked list of the websites you plan to incorporate into your
research. Keep this list in an
appropriately designated folder. When using campus computers, email the
websites to your own email address—never rely on the ‘History’ feature on
campus computers. You can also make a
printout of the first page or so—this will give you the URL (sometimes they are
lengthy and cumbersome to write down, and this multiplies the opportunities for
error). But this approach means more
paper to file—it’s best to maintain electronic files on your own computer.
*Photocopy
the title page and copyright information—and perhaps the table of contents—of
each book you select. This gives you the
opportunity to double-check your bibliographic citations for accuracy. No computer can do this for you—only you
have the judgment to check these items for accuracy. Never rely on memory for this information—you
should copy it directly from the resource itself or from a photocopy of the
title page and a photocopy of the page with the copyright information (called
the “verso”—that means ‘left’ side).
*Never
quote a source from memory, or a page number from memory, even if you are
certain. Strive for accuracy in the
details, especially the bibliographic data.
Sloppy work in this department can seriously detract from your
credibility—especially your work is published.
Especially beware if you are citing a source within a source—it’s far
better to go to the original source and cite the page numbers, or if you must
cite the second source, make certain that the second source has quoted the
first source accurately—and that the second source has cited the bibliographic
information—even the page numbers—accurately.
*If
possible, photocopy journal articles.
Include enough information to make an accurate and complete
bibliographic citation. Keep the articles and bibliographic information
arranged according to a filing system.
Even if you are using Citation 8, keeping the printed articles
arranged in a file is well worth the effort, especially when you are working on
a major project such as a thesis or dissertation. If you are working on a thesis or
dissertation, consider keeping the articles in plastic, water-resistant file boxes with snap-tight lids.
If you store them in a basement,
keep them off the floor! A broken pipe could mean disaster! If you
store your files in a basement or other humidity-prone area, operate a dehumidifier—especially
during those muggy summer months. Place a cloth bag with a few moth balls
inside those plastic storage boxes for extra protection against vermin.
*When
using sources, avoid lifting sentences out of context. If you are citing statements that are part of
an argument in your source, make certain you understand your source’s
argument—i.e., use citations in your paper with a view to your source’s
context. For this reason, it’s a good
idea to photocopy journal articles, or in the case of lengthy materials such as
monographs, photocopy a section or even a chapter if appropriate. This practice also liberates you to work on
your paper outside the library—at home, in the car, even (for the brave) on the
airplane. Make certain that you have an
organizational system that keeps the papers in order. Office Depot, Staples and OfficeMax
offer an assortment of plastic file storage containers (these companies also
offer online shopping), or you can use file cabinets in your home office. Don’t follow my example and throw papers
loosely in the trunk where groceries and shopping bags can smash them.
Page
Last Modified
7
August 2006