esearch starts not in a library, but in your mind. It begins with your curiosity, by asking questions. Some students, however, have forgotten this curiosity. Which of these two statements by actual students is closer to your attitude?

I think research means finding out what other people have said on an assigned topic until you have enough to fill up the required number of pages. I usually write the paper the night before surrounded by sources.

I enjoy researching. I often come to a place where I need a detail to back up what I believe, and I sort through the material. . . . Slowly the paper comes together from ideas I had never thought of until I researched my topic thoroughly.

Whether you now love or hate research, the following pages can help you become more comfortable, confident, and competent with writing research papers:

Getting Started From a general subject to a specific topic Reading widely on a topic From a specific topic to a research question Creating a research plan	Managing Research Using academic databases and search engines Evaluating sources Taking notes: Annotating a text Using double-entry notes Keeping a research log Forming a tentative thesis
Drafting Sooner Than Later Drafting "in the middle" Creating an introduction Refining your thesis Considering order and emphasis Citing sources properly	Academic Honesty vs. Plagiarism Academic honesty vs. blatant copying Plagiarism by sloppy note-taking Plagiarism during drafting Plagiarism by tutoring and the Internet University of Hartford's policy on academic honesty