LSC-North Harris Library Research Guides: ENGL 1302 -- (Dr. Martin): Starting Point

Keywords

What Is Your Research Topic?

Your first step is to select a topic and then get approval for it from Dr. Martin.

Once you have done so, you should generate keywords. Keywords are search terms that you use when searching for information about your topic. The above video explains how you can write keywords. Watch it, then continue reading this section.

Condense your topic into just a few essential words. Let's say that you're writing about pedestrian walking on Victory Drive. Your keywords could be:

pedestrian and Victory Drive and Houston

This may prove too specific, though. Perhaps there are not articles about pedestrian traffic on Victory Drive. Let's search for the whole neighborhood:

pedestrian and Acres Homes

Is that still not enough? Let's expand the geographic reach of our topic:

pedestrian and northwest Houston

Alternatively, perhaps the term "pedestrian" does not help us. We could also try:

walking and Victory Drive and Houston
walking and Acres Homes
walking and northwest Houston

Searching will require you to experiment with different keywords used in different ways. Be flexible and persistent.

How to Search the Library's Discovery Tool

Most of the library's resources, including news articles, journal articles, videos, ebooks, and print books, can be searched through this single search portal. This video shows you how to use it.

News Websites

KHOU
Use Google to search within KHOU's website for articles about your topic.
Houston Public Media
Use Google to search within Houston's public television and radio news services.
Univision Noticias
Use Google para buscar en la pagina del noticiero Univision.
Noticias Telemundo
Use Google para buscar en la pagina del noticiero Telemundo.

MLA Documentation

How to Cite Your Sources

You must cite your sources according to the MLA style of documentation.

This is our video that introduces MLA documentation. I urge you to watch the entire video carefully before starting to write your paper or annotated bibliography. It is much easier to cite correctly as you go along, rather than try to fix your documentation after you have written your paper.

This is our sample paper. When you're writing a paper, you can model the formatting of your paper after this one. If you are unsure how to set up the formatting in Microsoft Word so that it fits the requirements for MLA formatting, you could instead download this blank Word document that has the formatting already set up for you.

This is our 2-page handout that summarizes the MLA style. It includes most of the types of sources that students commonly use.

Podcast Recordings

Dr. Martin and Prof. Puller used to operate a podcast called Hurricane Radio for ENGL 1302 and 1301 classes. Here is an archive of these podcast episodes.

Episode 1
In the first episode of Hurricane Radio, Bruce and David reflect on their own college experiences and how they inform their interactions with students.

The music, which is in the public domain, is selected from the 4th movement of Beethoven's 6th Symphony, which is about a storm.
Episode 2
In this episode, hosts Bruce Martin and David Puller chat with LSC-North Harris Professor of History Jon R. Wilson to discuss veterans in the classroom.

The theme music at the opening and closing of the episode is "Trappin'" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 3
David and Bruce talk about anime, anime fandom, and the student Anime & Gaming Club.

The theme music at the opening and closing of the episode is "Trappin'" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 4
David and Bruce talk with student Salmah Siddiqi about her experiences wearing hijabs on campus and throughout her life.

The theme music at the opening and closing of the episode is "Trappin'" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 5
David and Bruce talk with Dr. Erin Ranft about the life and works of author Octavia Butler.

The theme music at the opening and closing of the episode is "Trappin'" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 6
David and Bruce talk with Gean Garcia, managing editor of North Star News, about his experiences writing and editing for the campus newspaper. You can contact Gean at Gean.L.Garcia@lonestar.edu.

The theme music at the opening and closing of the episode is "Trappin'" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 7
Bruce and David record a conversation after a 9-month absence. They talk about reading Barely Missing Everything by Matt Mendez and The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Reflecting on these, they consider prisons in Texas and the purposes of the criminal justice system.
Episode 8
Prof. Erin Ranft, overlord of the CAT-5 Cupboard food pantry on the North Harris campus, visits to talk about food scarcity on campus.
Episode 9
On this episode, David and Prof. Allison Wright interview student Elenor Manuel to discuss LGBTQ+ student needs and concerns. The music is "Trappin" by LSC-North Harris alumnus Shinrabanshô. It is used with his permission.
Episode 10
Voices of Migration is a podcast series by Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. To elevate and share student voices during Hispanic Heritage Month, we have interviewed students who have experienced migration.

This episode features Mike, a student from Jordan. Highlights of this episode include:

0:45-1:43: choosing an "American name"
1:45-3:02: an immigrant's responsibility to assimilate
3:09-4:45: American ignorance of world geography
5:10-7:35: moving to the UAE in middle school
6:09-9:40: graduating with a chemical engineering degree, only to discover that it was useless
9:57-13:32: immigrating to the US meant stability
13:32-14:35: America is a land of tolerance and freedom
15:15-18:20: Admiration for his parents
21:08-22:32: advice to college students--be more social
The music is "Trappin" by Shinrabanshô and is used with permission.
Episode 11
Voices of Migration is a podcast series by Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. To elevate and share student voices during Hispanic Heritage Month, we have interviewed students who have experienced migration.

This episode features Fatima, a student from Mexico. Highlights of this episode include:

3:14-4:35: the experience of learning English.
5:15-7:48: Catholicism and the Virgin of Guadalupe.
8:48-10:02: her love of working with children.
The music is "Trappin" by Shinrabanshô and is used with permission.
Episode 12
Voices of Migration is a podcast series by Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. To elevate and share student voices during Hispanic Heritage Month, we have interviewed students who have experienced migration.

This episode features Sergio, a student from El Salvador. Highlights of this episode include:

0:55-1:55: the importance of his father.
2:25-5:35: crossing the border at the age of twelve.
4:00-4:06: "I was there in a cage for three months."
9:59-13:28: throwing money at the Salvadoran government doesn't help Salvadorans.
Episode 13
Voices of Migration is a podcast series by Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. To elevate and share student voices during Hispanic Heritage Month, we have interviewed students who have experienced migration.

This episode features Frankie, a student who migrated around the United States while her father served in the US Coast Guard. Highlights of this episode include:

1:04-6:08: "I'm a military brat."
6:45-8:10, 13:30-15:39: the effects of moving frequently while a child.
9:35-11:32: the loss of Spanish, the heritage language of her family.
The music is "Trappin" by Shinrabanshô and is used with permission.
Episode 14
This episode was made on behalf of Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. We are interviewing students to learn more about their varied experiences. In this episode, we interview Julie, a LSC-North Harris student originally from Puerto Rico.

Highlights of this episode include:

1:41-2:38, 3:12-3:46. "My father is an amazing person."
4:37-6:06. Christmas in Puerto Rico, which is "the longest in the world".
7:39-9:48 . Life in Houston compared to Puerto Rico.
10:43-12:29 . "I want to become a cardiologist." Julie has very personal reasons for choosing this medical specialty.
The music is "Trappin" by Shinrabanshô and is used with permission.
Episode 15
This episode was made on behalf of Mi Casa, a student success program for a cohort of students who plan to transfer to four-year universities. We are interviewing students to learn more about their varied experiences. In this episode, we interview Amber, a LSC-North Harris student who talks about her experiences with romantic relationships.

Highlights of this episode include:

3:04-4:59: Mike, her fiance whom she met when she was 16.
5:00-8:13: Elias, with whom Amber had a child.
8:14-11:12: Narcissistic behavior by Elias.
15:24-17:37: Amber's relationship advice for her daughter.
19:16-21:36: Amber's romantic relationship to other young women.
The music is "Trappin" by Shinrabanshô and is used with permission.

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