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ENG 101/107: Research Basics

Welcome to Research Basics for Undergraduate English

Welcome to your one-stop-shop for research basics! The guide below, paired with the accompanying Resources tab, will provide you with the research essentials you'll need to ace your English assignments.

To start off, take the Welcome to UA Libraries tour of virtual resources at our library. 

Got a follow-up question? Click on the Resources tab to connect with your librarian. If you're an ENG 101/102/107/108 instructor seeking resources for your class, visit our Instructor Resources page. 

Structuring your Research Paper

Head over to the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue for an essay writing overview.

This wise-as-an-owl guide walks you through best practices for structuring the four types of essays (description, narration, exposition, and argumentation) commonly assigned in  English classes.

Need more help?

Locating Relevant Sources

First things first. Brush up on your search strategies by taking our tutorial. Then, once you have reviewed your assignment and developed a starting research question, it is time to look for information.

Here are two perfect places to begin your search:

Still unsure where to begin?

Citing and Avoiding Plagiarism

Take our Citations and Plagiarism tutorial to learn what parts make up a citation, what information you should collect from about a book, article or other source and how to avoid plagiarism. Check out our How to cite and Avoid plagiarism pages for further details.

Want to learn about some tools that will help you cite your sources correctly in your paper? 

Beyond the basics

To dive deeper into research strategies after reading this guide, browse our Research FAQ or chat, text, or email us with your questions!

You can also drop by to consult with a librarian in person! The Main Library and the Weaver Science-Engineering Library are back open to all University students:

  • Monday-Thursday, 7am-midnight
  • Friday, 7am-6pm
  • Saturday, 11am-6pm
  • Sunday, 1pm-midnight