RESEARCH PROJECT GUIDELINES

Wednesday, March 13th, 2012

THE SEVEN STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The following seven steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs. We are ready to help you at every step in your research.

THE SEVEN STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The research project written proposal should include:Justification or rationaleGeneral objectiveSpecific objectivesMethodology: Timeline, resources and

developmentConclusions

Due date: Thursday, March 21, 2013

STEP 1: IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP YOUR TOPIC

• SUMMARY: State your topic as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about how to construct a highway megastructure to connect Colombia with Panama, you might pose the question:

• "What effect does the construction of an interconnected highway between two countries bring to the economic, social and cultural development of both nations?

THE SEVEN STEPS OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS

The Gulf of DarienThe Gulf of Darién is the southernmost region of the Caribbean Sea, located north and east of the border between Panama and Colombia. Within the gulf is the Gulf of Urabá, a small lip of sea extending southward, between Caribana Point and Cape Tiburón, Colombia, on the southern shores of which is the port city of Turbo, Colombia. The Atrato River delta extends into the Gulf of Darién.

HUMAN NATURE

Your megastructure should:• Provide solution to a problem• Benefit your country people• Be feasible and possible to develop

DAMP FOR PREVENTING FLOODS AND IRRIGATION SYSTEM

• Itaipu Dam - Megastructures

Two cities connection bridge

• BROOKLIN BRIDGE

Two countries connection tunnel

Brenner Base Tunnel: Austria and Italy

STEP 2: FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Information can be gathered from variety of sources. You can use Books, Magazines, Encyclopedias, and the Internet. You can conduct interviews and surveys as well.

Put your all relevant thoughts in a logical order i.e organize your research paper in an appropriate manner starting from the stating of the topic, including thesis (Justification) aims, objctives, methodology, conclusion and take action at the end.

STEP 3: MAKE AN OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH

Check for grammar mistakes, spelling problems. Make sure that your ideas explained clearly.

STEP 4: REVISE YOUR PAPER

List all the sources from which you collected information for the paper.

STEP 5: PREPARE REFERENCES

The title page should include some standard information like your name, topic of the research, your mentor’s name, class, institution and year. The table of contents should include topics, sub topics and the page numbers.

STEP 6: CREATE A TITLE PAGE & TABLE OF CONTENTS

Make sure that you have completed all parts with overall neatness and put them into correct order without missing anything. Any borrowed material is properly acknowledged. Finally submit your paper on time.

STEP 7: EVALUATE YOUR WORK