The Craft of Research, 3rd edition by The Craft of Research is an essential guide to the research process in any discipline. The authors provide clear guidance about how to get from a topic to a research question to a thesis (claim), and how to support claims with evidence.
BEAM is an acronym intended to help us think about the various ways we use sources when writing a researched argument. The BEAM model comes from a 2008 article by Joseph Bizup.
Background: You use tertiary sources (subject encyclopedias, textbooks, overviews) to establish basic facts and definitions.
Exhibit: You analyze and interpret primary sources.
Argument: You evaluate and assess the arguments in academic secondary sources as a way to join the scholarly conversation.
Method: You use theories or disciplinary approaches when examining your topic.