WRT101 Megasection

Step-by-step guide to research
November 2008

TOPIC

Ask a question! What do you want to know? A research question is an open-ended beginning, not an endpoint.

Examples:

  • Is cell phone use while driving dangerous?
  • How does the media affect the body image and wellness of teenagers?
  • Should the use of marijuana for medical purposes be legalized?

KEYWORDS

Pick out the most important words from your topic statement or question. Examples (good keywords are in red):

  • Is cell phone use while driving dangerous?
  • How does the media affect the body image of adolescents?
  • Should the use of marijuana for medical purposes be legalized?

SYNONYMS/SIMILAR TERMS

Think of other words and phrases that express a similar idea:
  • cell phones = blackberries
  • media = advertising, television, commercials, magazines
  • marijuana = cannabis, weed, pot, etc.
  • adolescents = teenagers
Use truncation to save time: adolescen* will retrieve adolescent, adolescents, adolescence, etc.

SEARCH STATEMENTS

Combine the various keywords and phrases to tell the database what elements you want in the results. This AND that AND another thing. Examples:

  • cell phones AND driving
  • media AND adolescen* AND body image
  • marijuana AND medic* AND legal*
  • cell phones AND automobiles
  • advertising and teen* and self-esteem
  • cannabis and therap* and law

DATABASES

  • General or subject specific?
  • Good one to start with: Academic Search Premier.
  • Limit to full-text and perhaps scholarly.
NOTE: You MUST use that word "AND" when combining search terms in these library databases! (see #3)

EVALUATE RESULTS

This part requires you to find read abstracts and make decisions based on the article's appropriateness.

FOR ASSISTANCE:
Veronica Kenausis
Haas Library, 4th floor
203.837.8818
kenausisv@wcsu.edu
IM: kenausisv OR westconnlibrary

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