Research Process & Strategies

Library 150Week 3

Research Process

Get assignment, check: number and type of sources required length type of citation style that should be used (e.g. APA) paper focus: required/suggested topics or open-ended

Think of research statement or question Identify key concepts & alternative terms Choose library catalog (for books) or article

database Create search strategies and initiate searches Email/print/save search results Locate books or articles in Library or electronically

Choosing a Topic CSULA Library guide to choosing a topic

http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/rprep.htm#select

Web pages mentioned in homework #1 assignment

Narrowing a Topic Make sure it is not too broad

Abortion is too broad unless you’re prepared to write a book - the relationship between abortion and religion for Latinas is more manageable

How you can narrow your focus? Time period: last 10 years, 20th century … Place: U.S., West, California, So Cal, L.A. … Person/Group: politician, actor, ethnic group … Event/Aspect: Millennium, religious …

Topic DevelopmentIn-Class Exercise

We’ll do this together as a class http://www.calstatela.edu/library/libr150/in

class/week3topicdevelopment.doc

Alternative Terms / Synonyms

What happens if you can’t think of any?!?!?! Strategies

Search for books/articles with your initial word(s) and see if additional terms appear repeatedly

Look in a thesaurus – similar to a dictionary, except definitions are replaced with similar terms

Consult specialized encyclopedia or dictionaries – for example: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms, reference collection PN41.C67 2001

AND

search strategy that narrows search – finds only items that have both words/terms/phrases

number of results goes down for example: fairy tales AND women

search for fairy tales finds 50 articles search for women finds 100 articles search for (fairy tales AND women) finds 10 articles

may be used when searching library catalogs, article databases and Internet search engines

OR

search strategy that expands search – combines words with similar meaning

number of results goes up for example: fairy tales OR folk tales OR folklore

search for fairy tales finds 50 articles search for folk tales finds 30 articles search for folklore finds 40 articles search for (fairy tales OR folk tales OR folklore) finds 120

articles

other examples: (college OR university OR higher education) (children OR child OR kid OR kids OR juvenile OR

minor…)

NOT

search strategy that narrows search - excludes items that have additional word

number of results goes down for example: (fairy tales OR folk tales OR folklore) NOT grimms

search for (fairy tales OR folk tales OR folklore) finds 120 articles search for (fairy tales OR folk tales OR folklore) NOT grimms finds

15

other examples: bats NOT baseball = small flying mammal Mexico NOT New = country, not the state

Learn How to Create Search Strategies In-Class Exercise

We’ll do this together as a class http://www.calstatela.edu/library/libr150/

inclass/week3inclass.ppt

Evaluating Resources

Purpose Is the purpose clearly stated? Is it designed to inform, explain, persuade, etc.? Does it meet needs of the audience?

Audience Who are the intended users?

What is the level of writing used? General public vs. professionals, adults vs. children,

etc. At what level is the resource pitched?

Is it a scholarly publication (journal) or not (magazine)? Scholarly or pop culture approach to topic?

Evaluating Resources cont.

Content Does it cover topic?

Read the citation abstract or table of contents Examine descriptors/subjects at bottom of citation If full-text article or book, look for your key

concepts/topics Is it accurate?

Check information against material from other resources Check for political, ideological or other type of bias

What is the writing quality? Are there spelling mistakes, poor print quality, etc.

Evaluating Resources cont.

Authority Look for information about the author—is

he/she a specialist in that area of research? Currency

When was it published? Is the information up-to-date? If it’s a historical review, does it incorporate

the latest research?