Search Basics: Getting Ready to Search
Collecting
the information for your topic can be the most time consuming aspect of the
research process. Knowing
where to begin depends entirely on your understanding of the topic,
including the issues and jargon of that field of study, the literature,
and the resources that are available.
Answering these questions will help you focus and be more effective in searching for information:
- Are there particular types of sources you need to use for your project?
- Is your topic a scholarly topic or a popular / general interest topic?
- Do you need sources that are original scholarly research or summarizing or reporting about research?
- What academic discipline would be most do research about your topic?
- Could there be more than one discipline that does research in this area? If yes, which ones?
- Does the academic database you plan to use include sources from the appropriate time period?
There's no single process or methodology that will fit every research project, even if they're on the same general topic. When you begin gathering information, however, you may discover additional aspects or directions that you might like to pursue. Be prepared to modify your topic such as narrowing or broadening your focus.