Effective Research Strategies
This guide is based on research procedures outlined in Diana Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual (on reserve) plus some resources available in the LCU Library as examples.
Select & define key concepts or keywords of your topic. You must be able to locate information to support your ideas. Start as soon as possible because research takes time. Develop your topic by: examining a problem, comparing/contrasting ideas or individuals, analyzing cause/effect or influences, describing a situation/event or person, persuading the reader to your viewpoint.
Plan your search strategy using keywords as search terms before using the library catalog, electronic databases or searching the Internet.
Find background information (names, dates, concepts) in your textbook or in encyclopedias and specialized dictionaries located in the Reference section.
- Encyclopedias have a broad overview of topics: World Book, Encyclopedia Britannica
- Specialized encyclopedias or dictionaries: Encyclopedia of Religion, Anchor Bible Dictionary, Encyclopedia of Crime & Punishment, Encyclopedia of Bioethics
- Biographical sources locate information on people by name or in their field of expertise. Biography and Genealogy Master Index located in Reference Z
Refine or limit your search by:
- Amount of material needed: paragraph or 50 scholarly sources
- Time period: Use Books for older topics. Very current information is located in weekly magazines or news web sites.
- Place: Iran (not the Middle East), United States is better than no defined location.
- Specific event or group or discipline of study or literary work
- Types of materials needed: books, articles, newspapers, or web sites
Find books for in-depth information by searching the catalog for keywords or subjects. Use Library of Congress Subject Headings (big red books) for alternate terms. Books on a broader subject may have chapters or sections on your topic.
Find articles from magazines, journals or newspapers to update & supplement book information. Use a subject specific index or database to locate articles. (See Research Guides by topic) Some databases include articles full text. After selecting some articles, use the online catalog to locate the magazine or journal title. Broad subject databases are Academic Search or Humanities International. Newspapers are sources for current events. InfoTrac Newspapers is a database that includes some full text articles.
Internet sources should be evaluated critically by comparing to the information you have already gathered in journals and books. Organizations and government pages are often good sources for brief, factual or statistical information.
Cite sources in footnotes or bibliography by gathering documentation as you search. Follow your assigned style manual format (APA, MLA) for footnotes and bibliography. Most databases have citation style examples under Help.
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