Jacqueline A. Gill, Associate Professor RESEARCH STRATEGY Jacqueline A. Gill, Associate Professor

Research Strategy Develop a research question Think of keywords Choose a resource to search Look for information Read Evaluate the information you findModify your search Take notesCite sources

Research Strategy Develop a research question DEVELOP A RESEARCH QUESTION A good way to begin your research is to locate and read short articles that will give you a broad overview of a topic. You can find these articles in a variety of reference materials.  Browse books, articles, web sites, and course textbooks  Watch/read the news  Browse through encyclopedias  Specialized/Subject Specific Dictionaries  Almanacs  Handbooks  Biographical Sources

Research Strategy THINK OF KEYWORDS What is a keyword? A keyword is any searchable word in an online record. State your topic as a question. Determine what words best describe your topic. Example: How did New Deal programs influence the arts in America? Keywords: New Deal United States Depression Art Federal Aid to the Arts Think of key words

Research Strategy CHOOSE A RESOURCE TO SEARCH Depending on your topic, different types of resources (the web, newspapers, magazines, journals, books, etc.) may be more appropriate than others. You need to be aware of what kind of information is in each type of resource and who is the intended audience. Choose a resource to search BooksReference Sources Scholarly journals Popular Magazines NewspapersWeb Time frameAt least 1 year – several years after the event Several months – years after the event 1 week - 1 month after the event 1 day - 1 week after the event Immediate 7 yrs AudienceGeneral public - scholars, researchers, and students General public, specialists Scholars, researchers, and students General public General public - scholars, researchers, and students Examples:Negotiating ethnicities in China and Taiwan; The Press of Ideas; Women & Art Dictionary of Art; World Book Encyclopedia; World Almanac Journal of Child Development; Radical pedagogy, etc. Time; Newsweek; National Geographic The New York Times; Washington Post; Wall Street Journal CNN, Entertainment weekly, Amer. Med. Asn

Research Strategy Look for information LOOK FOR INFORMATION Begin your search by looking at these various resources. BooksCUNY+ catalog; Public library catalogs; WorldCat database Journals, magazinesCCNY Library – Databases A-Z Newspaper articlesCCNY Libraries – Databases A-Z EBSCOHOST, Lexis-Nexis, New York Times Historical Articles in BooksCUNY+ catalog; WorldCat database BibliographiesA list of resources about a particular topic. Bibliographies can be found in books and journal articles. Book reviewsA criticism of a book or article. Book reviews can be found in Choice; Library Journal; Publisher’s Weekly, etc. Government Documents Books, journal articles, reports, statistics

Research Strategy READ & EVAULATE THE INFORMATION YOU FIND Quantity - Enough resources are needed to support your argument. Diversity - Variety is necessary. Include many different resources. Date of Publication - When was the source published? Quality and Reliability - What is the purpose of the publication? What is the author saying? What are the author’s conclusions? Does the author agree or disagree with other authors who have written on the same subject? Read Evaluate the information you find

Research Strategy MODIFY YOUR SEARCH Make sure that the topic you have chosen is not too big. Narrow your topic and focus on an aspect of the subject that interests you. Write your topic down as a clear statement will to help guide you during your research. Modify your search

Research Strategy Take notes TAKING NOTES Skim through your books and articles to get the main ideas. Make notes of the important points. Use index card system for recording notes. Be sure to put the page number and author of the source on each note card. When you are taking notes, try to make them as short as possible. Record facts that refute your thesis as well as support it.

Research Strategy Cite sources CITE SOURCES Whenever you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or otherwise refer to the work of another, you are required to cite its source, either by way of parenthetical documentation or by means of a footnote. Offered here are some of the most commonly cited forms of material. MLA Style: Documenting Sources from the World Wide Web by the Modern Language Association of America Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association by the APA Online! Citation Styles by A. Harnack and E. Kleppinger Internet Citation Guides Internet Citation Guides Ref Works – creates bibliographies from exported citations

Jacqueline A. Gill, Associate Professor Questions? Visit the Reference Desk on the 2 nd Floor and speak to any librarian.