UMass Lowell's First Year Writing Program

Refining a Research Question

After students read about a topic of their interest, students should come to class prepared with a preliminary research question. During this classroom activity, students pass their research question around the classroom and have their peers ask additional questions about their initial question. Students leave the classroom with a more focused and grounded research question.

In-Class Research Activities
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota

IMRAD Cheat Sheet

In scientific writing, IMRAD or IMRaD (/ˈɪmræd/) (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) is a common organizational structure (a document format). IMRaD is the most prominent norm for the structure of a scientific journal article of the original research type.

Instructors may use this document to introduce or review the writing format with their students.

Reviewing the Literature Diagram

Ways to Spot A Bad Statistic 

Research Log

A research log can help students understand their research projects as inquires rather than exercises in collecting bits of information and gluing them together. Some faculty have students keep a composition notebook with all their search terms and the sources they find, along with free-writing about their ideas. Other faculty ask students to do “research prewriting” on Blackboard discussion boards. Below is a worksheet that students could use online or on paper, at home or in class.