Research: How can I organize my research?

Reflect upon, synthesize, and compare your research in an organized way.

HOW TO USE THIS CHART: Once you have done some general research and selected a research question, you will dig into a variety of types of research to answer that question. You will likely read articles, review data, conduct interviews, administer surveys, and more! It’s important to keep track of that information and synthesize it in order to best understand how to use it in your essay.

This source chart will help you reflect upon, synthesize and build connections between your sources, so you can answer your research question in a way that MAKES AN IMPACT on your reader.

NOTE: Do this step AFTER you write your research question and BEFORE you write your thesis statement. You are in the research part of the writing process where you are exploring possible answers to your research question. This activity will help you write your thesis statement.

Here are some things to think about when filling out the chart:

Key ideas: Identify key ideas from the article and state them in a few of your own words.
Evidence to support key ideas: The evidence you cite (direct quotes or paraphrase) should directly connect to the key ideas you identified.

Connection to research question: Draw thoughtful connections between the resource and your research question. Identify ways the source addresses the research question.