Library Research Strategies (Module IV)

Introduction to the Library: Module I
Library Reference Materials: Module II
Library Non-Reference Materials: Module III
Library Research Strategies: Module IV

Navigate this page:
How to research a topic
- What research is not about
- What research is about
- Steps in a research process
Different methods of topic searching
- Subject or controlled vocabulary searching
- Keyword searching
- Boolean combination searching
- Word truncation
Different research resources
- Books
- Journals
- Magazines
Web-based information
Evaluating internet resources
- Relevancy
- Detail or coverage
- Appropriateness
- Currency
- Authority
- Bias

How to research a topic

Research is a process.
Takes time, effort, and the ability to follow through on small leads to find out more relevant information on a specific subject.
Composed of a series of steps that follow a specific and progressive order.
Sometimes these steps may seem repetitive when you are forced to go back and review a previous step that you have already considered.

Compiling a series of quotations. Quotations should be properly used to illustrate and strengthen an argument.
Compiling other's peoples ideas without developing your own.
A defense of your own convictions. Its purpose is to present the truth. It is not intended to fight other people's ideas. It demands evidence, facts, data, and information.
Writing or preaching a sermon.

Learning how to identify, assess, and solve a problem.
Learning to develop critical thinking skills. This is the ability to assess a situation, weigh its components, and take appropriate actions as a result of this process.
Learning to present your own arguments in a clear and concise manner with appropriate evidence to support them.

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Steps in a research process
1. Reading to select a topic.
"You cannot research an island in the sea of your ignorance" (Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean. Quality Research Papers: For Students of Religion and Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001, p. 17).

To begin thinking about a topic, you will need a general knowledge of it.
Reference books are a good place to start to get an initial understanding of the topic. Encyclopedias, commentaries, and dictionaries are helpful to determine how a topic is being defined in literature.
They give you an overview of a topic's historical development and help you determine the different issues that may be involved in its research.

2. Assessing your topic.

Asking questions of yourself, professors, peers, and books will help you assess if you have a good and relevant topic and whether or not it is too broad or too narrow.
Consider questions of content and feasibility.

Content questions
- Is this topic interesting to me?
- How can I use the results of my research?
- What are the different components of this topic?
- What can I add to this topic?
- What has been written on this topic?
- How is the topic defined by the experts?
- Who are the experts on this topic?

Feasibility questions
- Do I have the necessary resources (time, money, bibliographic resources, etc.) for this research?
- Will the topic hold my interest over a period of several weeks?
- Am I qualified to do this research?
- Is sufficient information available on the topic?
- Do I have enough time to complete this research project by the due date?

3. Narrowing the topic.
If your topic is too broad, you will need to narrow it down by imposing limits that will help make your topic clearer and more manageable.

Some limits you may want to consider:
- Research your topic within a specific time period (Twentieth Century, Middle Ages, etc.) Limit the topic by predetermining the sources you will use for research (interviews, surveys, etc.)
- Research specific aspects of a topic. For example, a general topic such as spirituality and addictions may be narrowed down to "The impact of prayer as a spiritual practice in the treatment of alcohol addictions."
- Be mindful--too many self-imposed limits will make your topic too narrow. Choose your limits wisely.

4. Defining the focus of the topic.

Narrowing the topic will help you define it.
To evaluate if you have a well-defined and focused topic, write down a paragraph describing concisely what your topic is about and what you intend to learn as a result of your research.
List some resources you are planning to use.
To help you assess if your topic is well-defined and focused, talk to your peers and professors.

5. Collecting information.

You will need to select the best resources available to you to collect information on your topic.
You can select bibliographic (written or published) or non-bibliographic (surveys, interviews, etc.) resources, or a combination of both.
The selection of resources will greatly depend on the topic and focus you have chosen.
Make a list of possible resources and consider consulting with your librarian and professors to determine the best available resources for your research.

Collecting information: the Library
- The Library offers reference materials, books, journal articles, newspapers, and other media to assist you in your research.
- Some topics may require you to extend your research beyond the library's walls and find information through interviews and surveys.
- Remember to write down the bibliographic information of the resources you are using.
- See the section on "different methods of topic searching" in this tutorial for more information on how to conduct a bibliographic search.

6. Closing the search process.

There are some clues that will inform you that your research process is coming to an end:

a) You have exhausted all the resources available to you.
b) You begin finding that new resources provide information that you already have on the topic.
c) The time to complete the assignment is coming near.
d) You have acquired sufficient information to meet your research goals.

Remember that you will still need to allow yourself sufficient time to organize, write, and present your findings.

Brief bibliography:

Badke, William B. The Survivor's Guide to Library Research. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1990.

Lane, Nancy, Chisholm, Margaret, & Mateer, Carolyn. Techniques for Student Research: A Comprehensive Guide to Using the Library. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Pub., 2000.

Mann, Thomas. The Oxford Guide to Library Research: How to Find Reliable Information Online and Offline. Third Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean. Quality Research Papers: For Students of Religion and Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 2001.

Clusters multiple related topics within a single term designated as subject.
Solves the problem of synonym variations and foreign language terms since all related terms are grouped together.
Fine distinctions between subjects become lost because of the grouping function.
Does not allow you to get too specific within a subject.
Searches are conducted one keyword at the time, or you may combine keywords by using Boolean operators (see next section on Boolean operators).

Search for a subject by selecting keywords that represent your specific subject.
Will turn up multiple hits for the specific keyword, some of which may be irrelevant to your subject.
Provides a greater coverage and quantity of results but sacrifices precision and categorization.

Derived their name from the British mathematician and logician George Boole (1815-1864).
Refers to the ability of most databases to combine multiple search elements within one inquiry.
There are three Boolean operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

Using the AND operator
- Will narrow a search by linking two or more terms in a query.
- Helps define a search more precisely and thus reduces the number of results.
- For example, a Boolean search on "Holy Spirit AND Pentecost" will only provide results that match BOTH terms.

Using the OR operator
- Will broaden a search by linking two or more terms together using the OR operator.
- Will search for results that match each of these terms. Terms are searched independently from each other.
- For example, a Boolean search on "Holy Spirit OR Pentecost" will provide results that match ANY of these terms.

Using the NOT operator
- Will narrow a search by linking terms together using the NOT operator.
- Helps you to filter out terms that you do not want to include as part of your search.
- For example, a Boolean search on "Holy Spirit NOT Pentecost" will provide results that ONLY match Holy Spirit and DO NOT include Pentecost.

A feature of online searching.
Will find all the words that derive from the same root stem.
Truncation symbol is the asterisk (*) or the question mark (?).
To use it, type the root stem of the word followed by the truncation symbol. For example: pray* will provide results that match prayer, praying, and prayerful.

Different research resources
Books

Provide more comprehensive coverage of a topic.
May provide bibliographic resources for further research.
Are usually subjected to a screening process by authors, editors, publishers, critics, and librarians.
Are found through the use of the online catalog (OPAC).
For more information on how to search and locate books, see module III of this tutorial.

Provide latest findings on a topic and may offer further resources for research.
Written by experts in the field.
Are considered academic literature. Peer-reviewed journals have been subjected to a more rigorous quality control process.
Are found through the use of online databases.
For more information on how to search and locate journal articles, see module III of this tutorial.

Document popular events for a broader audience.
Illustrate a topic by providing and documenting specific stories.
Are not considered academic literature.

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Peer-reviewed literature
- Has gone through a more rigorous quality control process.
- Process maximizes trustworthiness of the published information.
- Most peer-reviewed literature is published in journals, but some papers presented at conferences may also be peer-reviewed.

Peer-review process
1. Author submits paper to the editor of an appropriate journal.
2. If article is considered appropriate for the journal, editor sends copies to three experts on the topic. Experts are called "peer-reviewers."
3. Experts (peer-reviewers) critique paper and return it to the editor.
4. Before publication, editor makes changes based on peer-reviewers' critiques, or decides to reject the paper.

How to know if a journal article has been peer-reviewed
- When searching for an article through the use of databases (ATLA, OTA, NTA, RTA), choose to search only for "peer-reviewed" articles by typing your topic and the words "peer-reviewed."
- For example, if you are searching for peer-reviewed articles on the subject of "women and Jesus," you will type "women and Jesus" AND "peer-reviewed."
- The article's record will displayed "peer-reviewed" on the subject line.

Provides opinions and facts on a topic.
May provide links for further internet research or bibliographic resources.
Is not necessarily subjected to a rigorous screening process; thus it will need to be evaluated by the user.
Need to evaluate the authority, relevancy, appropriateness, detail, currency, and bias of the website.

Evaluating internet resources

When using websites for research purposes, you need to be mindful of the quality of the information provided.
Websites are not subjected to a rigorous screening process. Anyone can post information on the internet. Thus, the reliability of the information should be evaluated before using it for research.

Is the information relevant to the question at hand?
What does it contribute to the literature in the field?
What is the overall value of the content compared to the range of resources available on the topic?
Am I on track?

How much information do I need?
Is the depth of coverage adequate for the subject?
Are there inexplicable omissions?

Is the information suitable for my academic purposes and core values?
Will it help me answer my questions?

When was the information published or last updated?
Are the links on the page up-to-date and useable?
Is the publication date clearly stated?

Who is the author of the information?
What are his or her qualifications?
Is there contact information available for the author of the page?

Why was this information written?
Is there evidence of potential bias?
Was it written to inform me, persuade me, or sell me something?
Does the author have a specific agenda or point of view?