RESEARCH HELP

No matter what department you're in or what classes you take, at some point you are going to need to track down information about a subject which is new to you. You are going have to research something, someday. Research is commonly associated with writing a paper, but this is not the only time to do research. You may need to buy a new price of studio equipment. How do you know what is the smartest buy? A media company may have offered you a fabulous position. How do you know if it's a good company to work for? Answer: you do research. You research the equipment you want to buy or the company you want to work for. The steps you take to do this are the very same ones you would use to write a term paper.

>>STEP ONE: DEFINE YOUR TOPIC

What exactly are you trying to find information about? Ask yourself questions about your topic. What type of equipment do you need? Who makes it? What does it do? BRAINSTORM the subject. Jot down everything you already know it. Make sure you know what it is you are looking for; it'll be easier to find.

If you are doing a research paper you may need to pick a topic. Remember to always pick something you are interested in. If the topic is new to you, it's always a good idea to read an article or two or find a reference entry before you start to brainstorm.

>>STEP TWO: FIND SOURCES

Depending on what your topic is you may want to find articles, images and/or videos as well as books. The Library has access to all of these resources.

  • Use the Library's catalog to find book and videos.
  • The library gets several online databases that list articles and transcripts on many different topics.
  • There is also a wealth of information available on the Internet. Remember, the Internet is easier to search when you know what you're looking for. In general, use the Internet after you've developed a solid idea of what your topic is about.

SEARCH STRATEGIES

  • Start simple using a KEYWORD SEARCH. A Keyword search looks for you search term in several fields at once.
  • Scan the results and click on the titles that seem to be related to your topic.
  • Within each catalog record, there is a list of underlined terms. These are the title's subject classifications. Clicking on these links will take you to other books or articles on the same topic.
  • Then try Advanced & Subject Searches
  • Once you have identified a list of related subject terms you can do a SUBJECT SEARCH. This allows you to focus in on a particular aspect of your topic.

ADVANCED SEARCHES

  • allow you to limit your search. If you are using an electronic database, you can usually limit your search by publication date, author, publication name or type. You can also specify that a search term appear only in a specific field.
  • Don't forget about author and title searches!

If you're searching an electronic resource your results will appear as a citation. If the article is not available in full text, you'll need this information to find the article.

>>STEP THREE: EVALUATE YOUR SOURCES

Not all information is created equal. Regardless of whether you're using print or non-print sources, it's important to carefully evaluate all your information before you use it. When you evaluate a source you are asking about the quality of the information being presented.

  • Who wrote or sponsored the book/article/web site?
  • Is there a noticeable bias to the work?
  • When was it published/ updated?
  • What types of sources cited?
  • How does it fit with other information you've found?

>>STEP FOUR: CITE YOUR RESEARCH

If you are writing a paper you will need to make sure you properly cite all your information sources. There are several different styles for presenting this citation information so it's best to check with your teacher before you begin.

  • Harvesting Citations You can get additional sources by looking at the works listed in the bibliography.

SELECTED SOURCES

General

Evaluation

Citation

Taking Notes

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