WR 121 for McDaniel HS: Step One: Get ready
Getting started on your research adventure
Research involves learning, and being willing and able to change your mind.
- You begin with a question, and "I wonder..." As you read and explore, notice what interests you and pursue it. There will be some dead ends and also some intriguing new ways forward.
On a practical note:
- Keep track of everything you find that seems interesting or useful:
- You could use a Google Doc, or Word, or one long email, or pad and pen, or tons of browser tabs. It just needs to work for you.
- Copy links, MLA formatted citations if possible, and write yourself a note.
- You could use a Google Doc, or Word, or one long email, or pad and pen, or tons of browser tabs. It just needs to work for you.
Who cares about your topic? Look for where they may have spoken/written about it.
- Start with Google (or another search engine). Check out 20 Google Search Tips if you want to get better results.
Look for a variety of perspectives on your topic.
- Words matter! A keyword search for right to life bring up results with a different perspective than a keyword search for right to choose.
- Adding site:org to your keyword search in Google will bring up .org websites. Then change site:org to site:gov or site:edu to get different perspectives.
Worksheet - make a copy and use it
Step 1: Learn about the context around your inquiry question
First, get to know more about the broader topic surrounding your inquiry question, the context(s) in which your question is situated.
Background sources like encyclopedias, news articles, and summary reports are good for finding out who is talking about your topic (psychologists? educators?) and an overview of what they think is important.
1. Search Encyclopedias for Background Research, the "Topic Search" in Academic Onefile or look for a news article in US Major Dailies or search Credo Reference to find at least one article that you are interested in reading.
2. As you read the titles or first sentence of articles you find, look for new terms that describe your topic and make note of them as potential search terms. Look for aspects of your question that you might not have thought of yet.
To get ideas about facets of your question, take a look at the "topic finder" on the right in Academic OneFile or the visual explorer tool in Credo Reference.
Policy & research institutes
Policy and research institutes conduct and publish credible research, often including polls, and advocacy on social, political, cultural or economic issues. While most policy and research institutes are non-profit organizations, some have a political or ideological slant.
- Brookings InstituteThe Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC.
- Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceTheir mission is to advance the cause of peace through analysis and development of fresh policy ideas and direct engagement and collaboration with decision makers in government, business, and civil society.
- Cato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a public policy research organization dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, limited government, free markets and peace.
- Center for American ProgressThe Center for American Progress is an independent, progressive, nonpartisan policy institute dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans.
- Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher.
- Gallup PollCurrent polls and research on a wide variety of topics. They often track polling responses over time, so you can see shifts in public opinion.
- Heritage FoundationThe Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies.
- Kaiser Family FoundationKaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy.
- Pew Research CenterPew Research Center is an independent center that conducts polls and studies.
Introduction to the Library Website and Library Services
This 5:26 video provides an overview of the library website and highlights some of the Library's most popular collections and services.
Get to know more about your topic - search one or more of the databases below
- Encyclopedias for Background Research This link opens in a new windowA selection of online encyclopedias that provides general overviews of topics across many subjects. Start here to get working definitions of key concepts and a big picture view of your topic.
- US Major Dailies This link opens in a new windowFull text newspapers from five U.S. national and regional newspapers: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune
- Credo Reference This link opens in a new windowProvides online versions of 500 published reference works, including general and specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. Try the Concept Map to search for terms and topics that are interconnected and displayed in a visual form.
- SIRS Issues Researcher This link opens in a new windowFull text information on social issues, science, health, history, government, business, and the arts and humanities. Citations include Lexile reading levels. View the SIRS Knowledge Source handout [pdf].
- Academic OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new windowAcademic OneFile is a starting point for peer-reviewed, full-text articles from the world's leading journals and reference sources. Covering the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects, it contains millions of articles available in full-text. Includes full-text New York Times content from 1995 to present.
Academic OneFile -- Topic Search
In Academic OneFile, look for the option to use a "Topic Finder" on the right-hand side of a results list. It's a great option for visually browsing aspects of an issue and viewing articles that address sub-topics.
Turning an Interest into a Research Question
In this video, you’ll learn how to turn something you find interesting into a researchable question for a college research project.
Advanced Google Searching
Google's advanced search lets you limit your search to more reliable resources, like education sites or government sites. To do this, add site:edu or site:gov to your regular Google search.
For example:
- If you do an ordinary Google search for nutritional supplements, most of your top results will be commercial (.com) sites trying to sell you vitamins.
- If you search for nutritional supplements site:gov , the top results (except for the sponsored ads) will be sites such as the National Institute of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, which are authoritative, unbiased sources that are not trying to sell you anything.
- If you search for nutritional supplements site:edu, your top results will be from universities providing research on nutritional supplements.
Learn more Google Search tips from "6 Google Tricks That Will Turn You Into an Internet Detective" in the New York Times.