Research Resources

 
Assignment 2: Research Resources 
Before You Begin…

From the textbook, Keys to effective learning: Study skills and habits for success, read:

Appendix A: Guide to library and Internet research

Review materials under the topic “Researching Tips”

When considering the career goal you identified in Module 1, it is helpful to know where to go to find current information about that career. For this assignment, you will:

Search the Internet to find the salary range for someone on your chosen career path in the area where you plan to live and work.
You will also search the Argosy University Online Library for a journal, or any other periodical, that can help you keep up with the trends in your chosen career.
Explore the Argosy University Center Platform.

Part I. Internet Search
For your Internet search, you can consider visiting the following links to appropriate websites for information on:

Salary Search
Salary Information

Write a one-page Microsoft Word document describing your findings from your Internet research using the following guidelines:

Using your Internet browser, do a keyword search using terms that will help you determine the salary range in your chosen career in your region. For example: paralegal salary ranges in PA
Identify the URL of the website(s) providing relevant information.
Describe why you think this is a reliable website. Click here for a checklist about what makes a credible website.
Explain whether the salary information is consistent with the career goal you have set.
Describe whether you can envision being satisfied with this level of salary in your chosen career. What factors may affect your satisfaction, including cost of living in your state, size of your family, debt obligations, housing costs, etc…
List two or three other questions or concerns you still have about your chosen career.
Create a separate reference page, cite the author, date of publication, and the URL where you found the information.  Here is an example of a citation for a website.

Gladly, C. (2012, January 4). Earnings have increased for college graduates over the past 20 years! Retrieved from http://www.highered.com/salaries
Part II. Library Research
Write a one-page Microsoft Word document document describing your findings from your Internet research using the following guidelines:

Access the Online Library.
Identify the name of at least one journal that provides articles relevant to your chosen career path.
Describe an article in this journal that contains information you find interesting and explain why you find it interesting.
Explain how this information may relate to your career goals or help in the future.
After reading this article, describe a question or topic you wish the article had pursued further.
On your separate reference page, cite the author, date of publication, article title, publication, volume, and the URL where you found the information. For example:

Author, I. (2013). Three easy steps to becoming a rocket scientist.
      Journal of reliable career information, 66(13), 5–7. Retrieved from
      http://goodjournals.edu/

Part III. The Career Services Resource Center Tools Research

In the following exercise, you will explore and report on the tools available through the Career Services Resource Center on the Argosy website. From the Campus Common, navigate to the Student Services option in the upper right-hand corner of the navigation bar. Click on Career Resources in the drop down options. You will enter the Career Service Resource Center. There you will see three areas: Planning your Career, Building Your Career Profile and Career Search Tools. Explore each resource as it relates to your career search efforts. For your assignment, compose one to two paragraphs for each area, describing available resources and how you can use them to support your future career marketing efforts.
Write a one-page Microsoft Word document describing your Career Services Center tools research using the following guidelines:

Describe the tools available in each of these three areas and ways they could be used to support your future job search. 
Explain how this information may relate to your career goals or help in the future.
Describe what steps you could take using these tools to obtain your perfect career goal.
Did you find anything in these tools that could help you obtain a job while you are in school, if so in what area and with what tool?

Submitting Your Assignment
Collate your findings from Part I, Part II, and Part III into a single Microsoft Word document and include a separate page for your title page and references. You are encouraged to use the M5A2 Template provided below to help you organize your assignment.

Use this M5A2 Template to help format your assignment and save it as Lastname_Firstinitial_M5_A2.doc.
Your assignment should include:

Title page in APA format (Click here for guidelines.)
Part I: Internet Research
Part II: Library Research
Part III: The Career Services Resource Center Tools Research
References page in APA format. (Click here for guidelines.)

The following M5A2 Template can help you with formatting your assignment.