COMM 1133 – Writing Strategies
Niagara College – F2021
The Research File – 10 Marks
As discussed in class, your final draft of any writing project is the result of significant pre-writing
work. Nowhere is that more evident than with a research project. The Research File is the first
step and is the result of the information gathering, evaluating, sorting, and selecting you have
done. It is not an essay.
First, get to know and use the research database system available through the Niagara College
Library. This will help you start looking at things that may interest you enough to write a
research essay about. During the first week of the Research File assignment, you need to
browse the database, newspapers, and check out any other sources on topics that interest
you. You can review how to do this from our lesson this week.
Topic selection deadline: May 31st, 2021. Submit on blackboard via the Journal tab. Instructions
will be posted.
Your topic must be approved at this point in order to proceed.
Second, by following the research principles you should start selecting articles and materials for
use in your research file (review links posted on our blackboard to videos on how to do this
from NC Libraries). This will involve documentation and summarizing the materials and you will
need to include this work with your research file (yes, it is for marks). You will receive a work
sheet template and you should complete one for each source you use to help you evaluate your
sources (see below).
Third, to put your file together follow the instructions carefully, use the check sheet ( and
marking guide) below to double check you have completed and included everything.
This is what makes your research file (Checklist)
1. Title Page in APA
2. Description of your topic: a brief background, your purpose, and why you chose this subject.
3. Your working thesis and organizational statement (main points).
4. An evaluation and summary of each source (use the worksheet).
5. A “References” page-APA Format (please see the resource I have posted for you in the last
lecture that will take you to the library page).
The research file is NOT an essay. If you hand in an essay at this point, it is kept, “0” will be
given for the file, and you will have to start over.
Niagara College – F2021
The Research File – 10 Marks
As discussed in class, your final draft of any writing project is the result of significant pre-writing
work. Nowhere is that more evident than with a research project. The Research File is the first
step and is the result of the information gathering, evaluating, sorting, and selecting you have
done. It is not an essay.
First, get to know and use the research database system available through the Niagara College
Library. This will help you start looking at things that may interest you enough to write a
research essay about. During the first week of the Research File assignment, you need to
browse the database, newspapers, and check out any other sources on topics that interest
you. You can review how to do this from our lesson this week.
Topic selection deadline: May 31st, 2021. Submit on blackboard via the Journal tab. Instructions
will be posted.
Your topic must be approved at this point in order to proceed.
Second, by following the research principles you should start selecting articles and materials for
use in your research file (review links posted on our blackboard to videos on how to do this
from NC Libraries). This will involve documentation and summarizing the materials and you will
need to include this work with your research file (yes, it is for marks). You will receive a work
sheet template and you should complete one for each source you use to help you evaluate your
sources (see below).
Third, to put your file together follow the instructions carefully, use the check sheet ( and
marking guide) below to double check you have completed and included everything.
This is what makes your research file (Checklist)
1. Title Page in APA
2. Description of your topic: a brief background, your purpose, and why you chose this subject.
3. Your working thesis and organizational statement (main points).
4. An evaluation and summary of each source (use the worksheet).
5. A “References” page-APA Format (please see the resource I have posted for you in the last
lecture that will take you to the library page).
The research file is NOT an essay. If you hand in an essay at this point, it is kept, “0” will be
given for the file, and you will have to start over.
