Designing Your Search
Developing a Research Question
1. select a topic that is interesting to you
2. gather background information
3. focus on a specific topic that is not too broad or too specific.
If you choose a topic that is too general, you will be overwhelmed by too much information.
If you choose a topic that is too specific, it may be difficult to find enough information to support your ideas.
Analyzing your Topic
In many instances, students beginning a research project decide to look at only one source of information, such as books. They usually do not analyze their topics according to the questions below:
- Do I need current information for my research? If so, should I consider using journal or newspaper articles.
- Are books a more suitable source of information? Do I need books which have up-to-date statistics or which include new technologies?
- Which sources will give me an overview? Which will give me concise information?
- Are there other resources which may help me in my research?
Search Strategy
Dividing a Research Topic into Concepts
A typical research question should be able to be divided into two or three concepts. (The morality of euthanasia for terminally ill persons).
Finding Related Terms
Once you break the topic into basic concepts, as many search terms as possible should be listed for each concept. (euthanasia/right to die/mercy killing) and (ethics/morality).
Practice Exercise
Your instructor assigns a research paper on euthanasia.
public schools
public schools or education
public schools and education
public schools not education
As you can see the connectors AND, OR and NOT can be used to narrow or broaden your search.
You can use the frame at left to go to any chapter you wish to explore next. When done we would very much appreciate your completing the Workbook Evaluation.