DWT 099 - Review for College Writing (Metzger)

1. When planning your search, try to think of the main concepts of your topic and what keywords you might use when searching. You generally cannot search effectively by typing in a question or sentence

Keywords are the main ideas or concepts of your topic question. Keep a list of these words because you will use them when searching for information on your topic. You will also want to come up with related terms in order to expand your searching.

Example topic question: Does playing violent video games lead to violent behavior in adolescents? 

When searching, string your keywords together with “and” rather than entering the entire research question. Mix and match terms depending on results.

Example: media violence and social aspects and adolescents

See the links below for more examples of how to find keywords. Modify your search strategy after you begin searching. Use the power of the databases (limiters, suggested subjects, and more) to further develop your search. Use broader concepts when searching the online catalog for books.

2. You should also determine what kind of information you need. Follow your instructor's syllabus carefully. Ask yourself the following questions:
• How many sources do I need? (Did your instructor give you a number?)
• What types of sources do I need? (Books? Articles? Web sites?)

3. Get background information on your topic. Use our online reference databases, listed below, to gather information on the broader context of your topic. This preliminary research will also help identify more keywords for searching.

TIP: Start early! You can try using this Assignment Calendar from the University of Minnesota.

Use reference books or search the references databases for encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and more.  Great for background material! If you read articles from encyclopedis before you read scholarly journal articles, you will have a better chance of understanding the specialized vocabulary that is often used.  Start with this kind of background information also helps you:

• Gain familiarity with the topic
• Identify more specific aspects of the topic on which to focus
• Provide context and identify differing perspectives
• Identify experts related to the topic

This video is from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Once you have decided on a topic, you need to think about the best sources to get your information. Answering the questions below will help you decide what kind of strategy you need.

Do you need books?

• Do you know very little about your topic?
• Do you need background material, an overview, or the history of your topic?
• Is your topic a broad subject?
• Did your professor require that you use reference sources or books?

If you answered yes to many of these questions, you need Books.

Do you need magazine or journal articles?

• Is your topic of current interest?
• Is your topic relatively specific?
•  Do you need the latest research on your topic?
• Can you describe your topic in a few key words?
• Would you benefit from reading how an expert on your topic writes about it?
• Did your professor include words like scholarly, academic, refereed, or peer-reviewed articles or sources in your assignment description?

If you answered yes to many of these questions, you need Magazine and Journal Articles, to be found in databases such as Academic Search Premier and MasterFile Premier. 

Do you need newspaper articles?

• Is this in the news now or very recently?
• Do you just need facts presented very succinctly?