Research Resources

Aleph is dedicated to helping our potential authors through the process of planning, conducting, and compiling their research. We know research can be daunting, but we hope the below resources and guides will help ease the stress of every stage of the research journey.

Each year, Aleph seeks to publish quality research… therefore, we are also dedicated to help our potential research through the process of planning, conducting, and presenting a research project. On this page, you can find guides and resources for each stage of the research project. Directly below are links to some helpful websites. We also incorporated some of their content into sections on this page.

Links to general writing and research resources

• Writing Instruction and Research Education (WI+RE) (Writing and Research)                                                                                                                                                                                                    
• UCLA Undergraduate Research Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (Humanities research tips)
• UCLA Undergraduate Writing Center (Writing)

Getting started: finding a research question

• • If you have never done research in the Humanities or Social Sciences before, don’t worry! The following sources are here to help you out!
  • Research subject and mentor (When deciding on topic and if a faculty advisor would benefit you)
  • Finding a research question
    • Resources from undergraduate research center
    • WI+RE tutorials, workshops, handouts

• What Aleph looks for in a research work, includes, but is not limited to:
  1. Significance
  2. Validity and Accuracy
  3. Power to generate discussion
  4. Originality
  5. Clarity (To both academics as well as a general reader)

Conducting research

• • Literature research
    • Online databases (Through UCLA library)
    • Library and librarian
      • Collections and resources at UCLA libraries
      • Making an appointment with a librarian
• Scheduled research consulting
• • • Inquiry Lab—Powell Library Consultations which help with learning about strategies, resources, and any question you may have regarding how to engage in doing research and writing a research paper)
      • Powell Inquiry Specialists in Powell 238
  • Scholarships
    • URSP
    • Mellon Mays
    • URFP
  • Organizing your material and time

Presenting the results

• • For writing a paper, the structure should go like this:

1. Abstract and thesis/conclusion
2. Organizing supporting evidence
   • Qualitative (first-hand sources, analysis)
   • Quantitative (stats, numerical values, data of some form)
3. Organizing argument
4. Thesis & evaluation/significance
5. Methodology & Limitations
6. Findings & Analysis
7. Conclusion

Writing and citation guides

• • Writing guides
    • Writing in an academic style
    • Presenting your idea clearly (Writing Guide from ZarLab, a STEM club at UCLA, but these tips apply unilaterally)
    • Proofreading and editing
    • History paper example
    • Abstract and thesis/conclusion
  • Resources from undergraduate writing center
    • Online
    • Visiting the UWC
  • Citation guides
    • APA
    •  MLA
    • Chicago

• • • • Chicago guide (UCLA)
      • Additional Chicago guide

• Citing photos and digital media

Zotero is also very helpful!