Using Your Research Journal
Your research journal is set up in a way designed to organize your information
in a useful way and to prod you into getting your work done in a timely fashion.
Contact Information
| The journal makes it easy for you
to find contact information for your instructor, fellow students and the
library: the correct spelling of names, email addresses and phone numbers. |
|
Organization
The journal keeps a record of your thought process and methods so that you
can review them when necessary. While your folder will keep track of the results
of your research (copies of articles, printouts of book information from the
online catalog, web page printouts), your journal helps you refine your research.
If you haven't prepared your journal yet, go to the page on Planning
Your Research for help in doing this.
Research Question
Use this section to define and refine your topic.
 |
- write down a list of possible topics.
- use this section to brainstorm ways to
connect it to things that either interest you or to which you can relate.
See Developing Interesting
Research Questions for help.
- select two topics. Write one in the section
at the front and the other in the Alternate Research Question section
at the back.
- as you do your initial research, use these
sections to refine your topics and questions, narrowing
or broadening the
topics as appropriate.
|
Use this section to keep track of the terms (or keywords)
you've used to search for information.
- Write down each keyword you try in each
database, online catalog, internet or index search you do.
- Note whether you found results and add
comments about what they were—useful? dead ends?
- As your research progresses and you identify
terms as more important, you can tell if you've tried these keywords
in particular sources.
- Highlight terms so that you can find them
easily.
|
|
Daily Diary Entries
Use these to keep track of your progress.
| Whether your progress
is good...
or not so good...
make a note of it. |
- Write a brief note each
day regarding what you've done toward completing your project.
("Searched FirstSearch PerAbs
database. See "Notes". Need to do this more.")
- Be honest. If
you haven't done anything, note it down: "Nothing". This way,
you'll know where all your time went and will help you figure out when
you work best.
- Set realistic but consistent
goals. Plan on working 3 days a week
for at least a half hour to an hour (or 2 days a week if you have the
entire semester), for example. If the end of the week is approaching
and you haven't done any work yet, make a point to do so.
- Make a note (in color)
of deadlines coming in the next two weeks at
the top of each week's entries so that nothing surprises you.
- If your instructor changes
or clarifies the assignment, make
a note of it on that day for future reference.
- Jot down questions or points
you need to follow up on: "What
were the names of some of the early women computer scientists?
|
Notes
Use this section to record any and everything that seems as though it could
be useful.
- Citations
- Longer comments or questions
- A brief summary of an instructor conference to make sure you remember it.
- Lists of ideas you want to follow up on
REMEMBER, ask for Help! Ask your teacher!
Ask Librarians! If you need to, just hit the PANIC
button!
|
 |
For information about
this, or any other Library Web Page, contact
the Library.
Created by Ruth Burridge
Lindemann, 2002. ©Danville Area Community College, 2002-2003.
Updated August 21, 2003
