GS 113 A: Research Starters

1. Develop a working knowledge of the broad subject
2. Narrow your topic to fit the assignment
3. Develop your research question
4. Define the keywords or phrases for your question
   
1. Also define synonyms and related terms
   
5. Select the best e-resource to use
   
6. Construct a search statement
1. Use boolean operators and special search characters
   
7. Use limiters to refine your search
   
8. Evaluate your results to find the best information
   
9. Organize your sources
   
1. RefWorks
   
10. Summarize each article or chapter
    

• If you are looking for a short article in a specialized encyclopedia for back ground information: start with one of the two E-Resource searches below.
  • Reference Universe. 
  • Enter your search term and Reference Universe will:
    • tell you which of our print and online refeernce works has something on your topic
    • what the call number and page number are for print reference works
    • provide a link to the article if it is online
  • CREDO REFERENCE
    • It is totally online.
    • Your might find the "topic pages" especially useful
• If you have a good idea about the basic background of your topic and want to find books that you can checkout, start with a keyword search of the Library Catalog: Books
• If you need to find journal and magazine articles, start with:

The Library offers CREDO as an online resource for finding the background information you need to begin your research for paper or presentation.

Credo Reference is an easy-to-use tool for research projects and homework. Search in hundreds of encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 200,000+ images and audio files, and nearly 100 videos.