Highlights of one student’s research process

Anna Orlov, a student in a composition class, was assigned a research essay related to technology and the American workplace. The assignment called for her to use a variety of print and electronic sources and to follow MLA style. She developed some questions and strategies to guide her research and writing.

The following pages describe steps in Orlov’s research process, from selecting a research question to documenting sources. Samples from Orlov’s process illustrate strategies and skills she used to create an accurate and effective essay.

While Orlov was assigned MLA style in her composition course, the steps and strategies involved in completing a research assignment are similar in any discipline and in any documentation style. If you are writing a research paper, the links on the following pages will lead you to more discussion and examples of the process whether you are using MLA, APA, or Chicago style.