Basic Research Strategy
Table of Contents
- Basic Research Strategy Overview
- Locate Background Information on Your Topic
- Narrow Your Topic, Form Issue Question, and Organize Question into Search Terms
- Find Research Materials to Use in Your Paper
- Evaluate and Select Research Materials
- Write the Paper, Citing Sources Correctly
An efficient research strategy moves from GENERAL to SPECIFIC sources. The steps of basic research are represented below in the Research Strategy Model.
Select a Broad Topic that interests you and then begin step 1, Locate Background Information. Although it is a temptation to bypass the first two steps of research and jump immediately to step 3, Find Resarch Materials, this is counterproductive. By completing each step you will be able to complete your research in a logical, efficient manner.
Step-by-Step Research Guides are available online for over 100 broad topics. These topics have been preresearched by library personnel to insure that the library has information on many of the issues within the broad topic area. They also provide helpful instruction on where to go to find information on each topic. Each guide leads the researcher step-by-step through the Research Strategy. Use the Subject List of Step-by-Step Research Guides or the Alphabetical List of All Research Guides.
1. Locate Background Information on Your Topic
- Consult General Encyclopedias - Locate general encyclopedias in the General Reference area on Level 3. In the index volume, look up your terms. The index will direct you to the volumes and pages where the encyclopedia discusses different aspects of your topic. Computerized encyclopedias may also be available. Whether you use the computerized or book format of general encyclopedias, make certain that you do not overlook pertinent background information. Take careful notes for future reference. Keep these questions in mind: What questions are people asking about this subject? Which issues are of the greatest interest to you? As you read the articles you will find the following:
- General information on the subject
- Subcategories that might be appropriate for the focus of your paper
- Terminology (keywords, subjects, phrases) used in the field
- Names of people important in this subject (authorities in the field)
- A bibliography or list of sources that may be useful in later stages of research.
- Consult Specialized Encyclopedias - Remember, step 1 of your
Step-by-Step
Research Guide will list the specialized encyclopedias and other useful
reference sources for your topic along with their call numbers.
Specialized encyclopedias contain the same type of information as general encyclopedias, but provide a more in-depth treatment of the subject. Remember to take careful notes for future reference. As you read you will find:
- More detailed background information
- More specific subcategories
- Additional search terms/terminology
- Additional authorities
- Additional bibliographies
2. Narrow Your Topic, Form Issue Question, and Organize Question into Search Terms
After reading general and specialized encyclopedias, you now have an awareness of various aspects of your topic that are being questioned and researched. You are now prepared to narrow the scope of your research and to form an issue question. Your focus from this point forward will be on the subcategory of most interest to you.
The following is an example of how the broad topic of Psychology can be narrowed to form an issue question:
Psychology
Phobias
Treatment of Phobias
What are the best methods of treating phobias?
How effective is relaxation therapy in treating phobias?
Using a chart like the one below, organize your issue question into concepts. Truncate keywords by adding the appropriate truncation symbol to the end of root words. For example, the truncation symbol in the BYU Library Catalog is the dollar sign $ (for multiple character truncation) and the question mark ? (for single character truncation). Use the HELP screens in the database you are using to determine the truncation symbols.
| Concept 1 | Concept 2 | Concept 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (List synonymous or related key terms dealing with Concept 1)
__________________ or __________________ or __________________ |
(List synonymous or related key terms dealing with Concept 2)
__________________ or __________________ or __________________ |
(List synonymous or related key terms dealing with Concept 3)
__________________ or __________________ or __________________ |
3. Find Research Materials to Use in Your Paper
With a specific focus defined for your research topic, next you will be locate books and journal articles that you will use in the actual composition of the research paper. Use the Keys to Successful Library Database Searching listed below.
- Choose the appropriate database or index.
To find books use the Library Home Page. Click on "Find Books". If you are unfamiliar with how to search the Library Catalog, use the Library Catalog HELP screens. Perform Browse Author searches under the names of people you have identified as authorities in the field. Perform Browse Title or Author searches for relevant books listed in the bibliographies you have found. Perform Keyword and Advanced searches to identify other relevant books on your research topic. To find additional books, look at the "subject terms" for these books and click on those terms which directly relate to the focus you have selected. Write down the complete information about each relevant title including the call number, so that you will be able to locate it.
To find journal articles consult either print or computerized indexes recommended for your subject. Remember, step 3B of your Step-by-Step Research Guide will list the databases you should start with. Computerized periodical indexes and other databases are listed under broad subject disciplines by selecting Resources by Subject from the Library Home Page. After selecting the discipline which matches your research topic, you will see a list of recommended databases.
The description accompanying each database, tells of its coverage and where you can access it. If the resource cannot be accesssed through the Article Indexes, go to the designated library location or reference desk.
- Plan out your search statement.
Use the HELP screens in the database to find what truncation symbols are used.
Enter your keyword search in the search box(es). Use a subject search if available.
If desired, limit to Peer Reviewed (items approved by experts in the field) and to a range of publication dates.
- Search the database and evaluate the results.
Think carefully about the results of your search. Narrow or broaden your search as needed.
Mark relevant entries.
Print, download or e-mail citations and print full-text articles.
Use the Gold "Find Full Text" link, if available for the database, to determine the BYU call number(s) for your periodical title(s).
- Find the books and periodical articles.
To find book materials, use the Call Numbers/Collection Locations list and floor maps.If the article is not available in full-text, and the database does not have the Gold "Find Full Text" feature, find the periodical call number by using the Library Catalog Search under "Find Books":
- Type in the Title of the Journal
- Select Alphabetic Search
- Click Periodical Title
- Once you have found the record you need, scroll down to "Library Has" and compare with your article citation
- Write down the call number
- Check for Electronic Version (HTTP): - the library has access to thousands of electronic journals.
All periodicals, bound and unbound, are located in the Periodicals Room. Level 2. Periodicals published since 1987 are located on the left side of the room. Older periodicals are located on the right side of the room in compact shelving. If you need assistance please ask for help at the Periodicals Reference Desk.
Periodicals belonging to named collections, such as Special Collections, Music/Dance Library, Govenment Documents, or the Asian Collection, are housed with those collections.
If the item you need is not available through BYU, use the online Interlibrary Loan request services, available through the Library Home Page.
Tips on Finding Relevant Internet Resources
In addition to scholarly books and articles on your topic, you may find relevant research materials on the Internet. The media would have you believe that you can find everything on the Internet. Unfortunately, that is not true. The Internet is one of the fastest growing information resource channels available. Resources identified through an Internet search may number in the thousands, but they should be evaluated closely (see criteria below). Typically, Internet resources supplement, rather than duplicate, what you find through your library research.
To discover what is on the Internet on a particular subject, first check Selected Web Sites for your subject under Resources by Subject on the Library Home Page. You may also find relevant research materials by using a "search engine" (or index) to Internet resources. Many different search engines exist. Each is structured slightly differently and leads you to a different cluster of Internet resources. A handy chart listing the features of many search engines is located at Search Engine Showdown
4. Evaluate and Select Research Materials
In your search for information, you eventually face the challenge of evaluating the resources you have located and selecting those you judge to be most appropriate for your needs. Examine each information source you locate and assess sources using the following:
- Relevance: Does this publication help answer your research question? If not, discard it.
- Reliability/Credibility: Is the information accurate? What clues are present to help you judge accuracy? Has the information been peer reviewed? Are the author and publisher reputable? Do they cite their credentials? Is there sufficient documentation to help you determine whether the publication is reliable? In other words, are there footnotes, a bibliography, credits, or quotations?
- Perspective: Is this a primary source (presenting the author's own research and ideas) or a secondary source (summarizing and discussing the research and ideas of others)? How objectively is information presented? Is a bias evident? Is the author attempting to sway the reader's opinion?
- Timeliness/Currency: How recently was the information published? How recently has it been updated? Have there been developments in the field which may have been inappropriately represented because of the publication time frame?
Evaluating Internet Resources
Each of the above criteria is crucial to the evaluation of all information you locate, but it is particularly important that you consider the above questions as you evaluate Internet resources. Since almost anyone can publish a Web page and there are few of the traditional filters in place for Internet publication, you are responsible for assessing the credibility and appropriateness of these resources for your research purposes. Finding Information on the Internet, developed by the Library at the University of California, Berkeley, gives users techniques to evaluate web pages.
Primary source materials for historical research are becoming more readily available on the Internet. Using Primary Sources on the Web is a web page "designed to provide students and researchers with information to help them evaluate the Internet sources and the quality of primary materials that can be found online."
As you evaluate Internet resources you may find valuable clues in the URL (Internet address). Three letter abbreviations used within the URL can alert you to the type of agency that makes that resource available. These abbreviations can help you assess which of the following categories a Web page falls within. The category in turn may help you assess the credibility of the resource.
Categories of Internet Resources
- Informational Resources are those which present factual information. These are usually sponsored by educational institutions or governmental agencies. (These resources often include .edu or .gov within the URL or Internet address.)
- Advocacy Resources are those sponsored by an organization that is trying to sell ideas or influence public opinion. (These resources may include .org within the URL. Example: Democratic Party = http://www.democrats.org, and Republican Party = http://republicans.org)
- Business or Marketing Resources are those sponsored by a commercial entity that is trying to sell products. (You will usually .com within the URL of these resources. Example: Novell = http://www.novell.com)
- News Resources are those which provide extremely current information. (The URL will usually include .com. Example: USA Today = http://www.usatoday.com)
- Personal Web Pages/Resources are those which have been written, compiled, and/or published by an individual who may or may not be affiliated with a larger institution. These pages often represent the views of that individual alone. (URLs will vary but frequently include a tilde [~].)
5. Write the Paper, Citing Sources Correctly
Now that you have an understanding of the background of your subject and have located books and periodical articles on your specific issue, use the sources and information you have found through this guide to write the first draft of your paper.
Remember to document your research. The General Reference Desk, Level 3, has copies of most style manuals (i.e., MLA, APA, etc.), or use the online Style Manuals listed under E-Reference.
The video "Don't Get Caught in the Web: Research Strategies" dramatizes the research strategy experience of a first-year college studen, and is available at the Learning Resource Center in the Harold B. Lee Library or through Media Inc. (Box 496, Media, PA 19063; 1-800-523-0118).