Learn to Research in 5 Easy Steps

Develop a Topic Overview

In this module you will learn how to

  1. Select a topic and find background information
  2. Narrow your topic and devise a research question
  3. Brainstorm keywords
  4. and 5. Develop your search strategy (ie what, exactly, you will type in when you search for sources on your topic)

After watching the video and reading the text, click on the Step 3: Find Information tab on the left side of the page

Search Smart!

Develop efficient strategies to search for books, articles and websites

  • Searching is CREATIVE - use synonyms or different search words to find the sources you need

  • LEARN as you search - keep your eyes open for new words or terminology that you find in your sources (book, article or website results).  Use this new search vocabulary for your next search

  • Be a DETECTIVE- if you find a good source, dig deeper and explore any links or other suggested resources.  These will lead you to more information

  • Look in MORE THAN ONE PLACE - use all the search tools available to you, such as the

  • DON'T STOP after one or two tries - if you can't find what you need, ask a librarian for help

1. Select a Topic and Find Background Information

Consider using the library's reference sources as a starting point for research and for locating background information

Start with your broad topic area that interests you (example: immigration, diabetes, cloning, Korean War, depression, Hinduism, air pollution, punk rock...etc.)

2. Narrow Your Topic and Devise a Research Question

So, if the general topic that interests you is marketing, try to think of some specific aspects of marketing, such as

  • Internet marketing
  • Green marketing
  • Marketing to special groups

Let's say that you are interested in marketing to special groups.

You could narrow the topic of marketing even more by adding a sub-topic.

Marketing
 
 
 an age group marketing to adolescents
 
 a location marketing in Japan
 
 an additional topic marketing in magazines
 
 a population marketing to minorities or women

 

It is helpful to write out your topic as a sentence or a question. Let's say the question that most interests you is:

How do advertisers market their products to women?

3. Brainstorm Keywords

Brainstorm Some Keyword Terms

No matter where you're searching, you will need to pick out the most important keywords. These are generally nouns.

How do advertisers market their products to women?

Other related words (or synonyms) for products and women might be:

Products: clothing, clothes, cigarettes or liquor, computers, toys

Women: girl, girls, gender, female, females, ladies, mothers

Note that we've included variations of keywords such as plurals. Include any alternate spellings of words or abbreviations, too.

4. Develop Your Search Strategy

So, after you've brainstormed related terms, or synonyms, for your most important keyword terms in step 3, now you can create some search statements. 

Search statements are what, exactly, you will type in when you search for sources on your topic.

Use the connector word AND to combine synonyms from each keyword term to make a solid search statement:

marketing AND computers AND women

marketing AND clothes AND female

marketing AND products AND gender

5. Creating an Effective Search Strategy

PurdueLibraries. "Creating an Effective Search Strategy". 1 June 2012. YouTube. 30 Aug. 2012. http://youtu.be/YtFzfDvLW5Q