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Research Strategies: Home

The basics of library and online research for writing college papers.

Step 1: Before You Begin Your Research

Focus your research terms. Here are some methods you can try: 

  1. Frame your topic as a research question (e.g., What has caused the recent rise in measles cases in the U.S.?). 

  1. Frame your topic as a hypothesis (e.g., Vaccine denial is the cause of the recent rise in measles cases in the U.S.). 

  1. Focus on a specific aspect of your topic (long-term complications of measles).  

  1. Read encyclopedia entries or general interest articles on your topic to identify an interesting or significant issue to follow up on 

Step 2: Hit the Library

Databases  

  • Go to the Ludden Library homepage and search using one of the following methods: 

    • Method 1: Enter your search term in the space marked Search for Articles and eBooks for materials from periodicals, e-books, and reference works. You can use the options to the left of the results list to limit your search.  

    • Method 2: Click on Research Databases. Now you can choose a specific subject or type of database or select a database from a list. Some good general information databases include: 

      • MasterFILE Complete, for magazine articles, reference works, and maps 

      • Academic Search Premier or JSTOR, for scholarly (peer-reviewed) articles 
      • EBSCO eBook Collection for electronic editions of books 

  • When using either of these methods, you can search on a single word/phrase or do an advanced search using multiple terms: 

    • Use the word AND to connect your search terms if you want to limit your results to sources that include all of the terms (e.g., “measles epidemic” AND “rise in measles cases” produces 8 results);  

    • Use the word OR to connect your search terms if you want to expand your search to sources that mention any of your search terms (e.g., “measles epidemic” OR “rise in measles cases” produces 591 results”).   

  • If you don’t get enough results, change your search terms: try synonyms, more general or specific terms, different issues related to your topic, etc. 
  • Save the sources you will use by emailing them to yourself, downloading them to your laptop or portable drive, or printing them. 

Books  

  • On the Ludden Library home page, enter your search term in the Search for Books, Media, and Course Reserves space. A list of videos, books, and e-books will appear; you can refine the list by format, language, date, etc.  

    • For books, make a note of the call numbers (a series of characters beginning with two letters, e.g., QR181.D47 2021) and look for them on the alphabetically arranged library shelves. 

  • If you do not get enough results: 
    • You can click on All WYLD Libraries to see what materials are available in other libraries in the state, and you can request these materials via interlibrary loan. 
    • Try using more general search terms; sometimes a book on a more general topic will contain a chapter on your specific topic. 
  • When you find a useful book, you don’t usually have to read the whole book: 
    • Look up focal points in the table of contents and/or index. 
    • Read enough of the rest of the book to understand the context of the information you plan to use. 

Reference Works 

  • The reference section in Ludden Library includes general reference works (dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks) as well as specialized reference works in a variety of subjects. 

Step 3: Search the Internet

Searching the Internet 

  • Try a variety of search terms 

  • Different search engines will give you different results, so if the first few pages of a Google search don’t seem promising, try using Bing or DuckDuckGo, or an academic search engine like Google Scholar or Virtual Learning Resources Center. 

Evaluating Online Sources 

  • When you find what looks like a good source, evaluate it carefully: 

    • What kind of website is it?  

      • Check the domain name. It may be the same as a well-known institution or publication, and the extension identifies the type of website, e.g., a government site (.gov), a commercial site (.com), an educational site (.edu), etc. 

      • Read any information provided under the About tab. Be wary of sites that seem to have an agenda or are trying to sell something. 

    • When the author’s name is included, do a web search on that author to check credentials and determine trustworthiness.  

    • See if the article includes a bibliography; if so, review the sources to determine their credibility. 

    • Evaluate the contents of the material: 

      • Look for signs of bias. 

      • Look for factual or technical errors. 

      • Try to confirm any unusual or surprising information through other sources. 

Step 4: Determine the Usefulness of the Sources

  • Make sure the sources you have found satisfy the requirements of the assignment (e.g., do you need peer-reviewed or very recent sources?). 

  • While searching the databases or library catalog, you can click on the titles for more information about the contents. Database articles are usually accompanied by abstracts, and entries in the library catalog may include overviews, tables of contents, and excerpts.

Step 5: Keep Track

You can save time later on by making a record of your research: 

  • Make a bibliographic entry in the assigned format for every source you think you might use in your project. 

  • Make a note of titles you looked at and decided not to use; this will save you time on later searches. 

  • As you take notes, always record which source the material comes from, along with the page number (if needed for the assigned format).