Saints: Overview

Use the Research Process to examine the Life of a Saint

Write a five paragraph essay about the life of a man or woman who has been canonized by the Church for their life of holiness (someone who is an officially recognized saint).

Questions to consider:

• How is the term “saint” defined, and how does it apply to this person? Why does this person meet the definition and its criteria?
• When did this person live, and what was he/she known for?
• Is this saint a “patron” of some cause or group of people? When is the feast day of this person celebrated (if this is a canonized person)?
• Why did you choose to write about this person? What was your motivation to investigate this person’s life?

Step 1: Clarify the question

For specific information about this step in the research cycle, please review the information on the Clarify the Question page of the Research Cycle LibGuide.

• Ask a lot of questions to ensure you understand the scope of the assignment and what is required.
• Identify your key terms/concepts
• Brainstorm
• Map it out
• Do some background research to learn about sub-topics and language used.

By Conestoga College Library Resource Centre

Step 2: Gather Information - Research and Notetaking

For specific information about this step in the research cycle, please review the information on the Gather Information page of the Research Cycle LibGuide.

It is very important that you gather your information in a formal way and track where you found it so you can review the source if needed in the future. Gathering information, therefore, involves a number of steps:

• Developing searches - knowing how to locate information in a book, periodical, website, database
  • This includes developing keywords and search strategies
• Noting where the information came from.
  • Tracking your sources
• Taking notes.
  • Make it clear when you are paraphrasing, summarizing, or directly quoting from your source
  • Remember to provide the page number, section, or paragraph number so you can get back to the original source if needed

By Chris Bourg.

Step 3: Evaluating Information

For specific information about this step in the research cycle, please review the information on the Evaluating Information page of the Research Cycle LibGuide.

Outline: Step 4: Organize and Evaluate

Before you start writing your paper it is a good idea to organize the structure and check if you have enough information. In otherwords, create an outline. For specific information about this step in the research cycle, please review the information on the Organize page of the Research Cycle LibGuide.

Putting it all together: Writing the Rough Draft

Many students think that once the paper is written that the work is done. That's not the case. It is very important to edit and reflect on the assignment to make sure that all the necessary components are provided - including checking citations and grammar.

For specific information about this step in the research cycle, please review the information on the Presenting Research page of the Research Cycle LibGuide