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Five Steps of the Research Process

Often you will complete these steps in the order provided; however, there may be times when you will need to return to a previous step or complete multiple steps simultaneously.

Citation Styles

There are quite a few different ways to cite resources in your paper. The citation style usually depends on the academic discipline involved. Check with your professor to make sure you use the required style, and whatever style you choose, be consistent. See below for information on MLA Format and APA Format. Information on Chicago/Turabian Format and Other Formats is available at the links.

MLA Handbook

The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers gives step-by-step advice on every aspect of writing papers, from selecting a topic to submitting the completed paper. It provides an authoritative presentation of MLA documentation style for use in student writing.

The MLA Handbook is kept at the Ready Reference Desk at the Columbia College Stafford Library and is for in-library use only.

MLA Useful Websites

APA Publication Manual

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association provides detailed guidelines for using APA style. The APA Publication Manual is kept at the Ready Reference Desk at the Columbia College Stafford Library and is for in-library use only.

APA Useful Websites

For examples on how to use the APA Style for citations and References page, click on the links below.