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- Research topics often have no single
right answer and no
single source of answers.
- Develop a list of terms or search
phrases that work. Brainstorm in writing many key words and concepts on a single page or card.
Keep adding to (or deleting from) this list as you discover related
concepts, larger and smaller terms, synonyms, subject headings, and
descriptors.
- Plan your research strategy.
If you know little about a topic, an overview article from an encyclopedia
or Ebsco can help you understand the extent of your topic.
- Choose Internet search engines based on what
you need and the best search engine for the job.
- Choose specialized resources (articles, books,
interviews, etc) to develop variety and depth of
research.
- There are many notetaking strategies
:
- In a research journal.
- In a visual organizer (timeline, web,venn diagram, etc.).
- In a linear style (lists, outlines, columns).
- On note cards.
- By using highlighting and margin notation on text.
- By typing, cutting and pasting in a word processing document.
- You may become frustrated or feel overwhelmed during the research
process. We want to help you develop a more complex understanding of your
topic. Resist the impulse to just "grab for facts." Allow yourself time to
sit back and think about the big
picture.
- Questions to ask yourself about
your notes:
- How does this idea fit in with what I have already read? (Make connections
between sources as soon as you see them. Organize your notes.)
- How does it fit in to what I know?
- Does it make sense? (Look for logic errors, as well as checking your
own understanding.)
- Which side does this evidence support? (Classify and label it)
- What are the characteristics of this source? (How recent? What biases?
Is this propaganda? What's the point of view?)
- What do I still need to find out?
- Did I take the bibliographic information for the source?
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