So You Need to Do a Research Paper?

Preparing your mind to research

We are going to assume that you have already chosen a topic.  For example, you have just watched Absence of Malice and you have chosen or were given the topic of "ethics and the press." (See example below)

Here are some steps to begin.

1. Write your topic down on a piece of paper (or in a word processing program).
2. List (brainstorm) what you already know about your topic.    You can even give personal observations here. Don't worry about how obvious some of your knowledge is. This step is just to get you in the correct mindset. 
3. Write down how you feel about the topic. Be aware that your feelings or opinions may change as you research.
4. Next, go back over your list and start asking yourself what information do you THINK you will need to complete the assignment.

Sample

Topic: The Ethic Responsibility of the Press

What do I know: 

1. The press is often accused of being irresponsible
2. There are some laws that protect people from the press (Don't know what they're called)
3. Benjamin Franklin wrote for the newspaper
4. The New York Times is considered an excellent newspaper and many of their reporters are highly respected.
5. Papers like the Sun and Enquirer are not taken seriously
6. The responsibility of the press is to inform the public
7. I don't like the way they interview people who have just lost someone in a fire, shooting spree, etc.
8. The press has become too sensational but I think TV news is even worse.
9. The press was responsible for breaking "Watergate" in the 1970s.

What I think:

I think that the press often doesn't act in an ethical manner.  I think that they too often just want the story and don't worry about hurting innocent people. 

What information I think I'll need:

• information about the laws that protect and control the press
• examples where the press has had positive and negative impacts on the public

This is just a preliminary start to your paper, a starting point.  As you research you might realize that you need additional information or that you might even have to rethink how you are going to approach this topic.