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 Introduction
Developing a thesis
Questions
are powerful techonology
Determining Search
Strategies
Quiz
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Determining Search Strategies
Now that you have a working thesis, you can begin developing
a search strategy.
A search strategy is a plan for research, involving two
phases:
- analyzing the types of sources and content you need
- determining an initial set of search terms to use
When analyzing the types of sources and content you need,
ask these questions
| Specificity |
Do I need facts or statistics?
Opinions?
Background information?
Analyses? |
| Timeframe |
Do I need an account of an event recorded
at the time it happened?
Does timeliness matter?
Do I need a historical perspective? |
| Focus |
Do I need to focus on a specific discipline
Do I need to look for resources across several disciplines? |
Types
of
sources |
Do I need an account of an event as it
happened?
Do I need sources that provide analysis, explanations, or descriptions
of primary sources? |
Level
of
scholarship |
Do I need background information or brief
fact?
Do I need more in-depth treatment supported by research? |
The questions
that you need answered
will dictate the type of information
you need.
The type of information will determine
the most appropriate type of source
to check
for the information
you need.
Match your questions to these types of sources:
- government, academic, or private sector
- data, statistical, numeric, fact/definition
- book, popular magazine, scholarly journal, newspaper,
trade journal
- reference book
- biographical
- bibliography
- primary, secondary
| Type of Information |
Type of Resource |
| General overview, concepts, issues,
terminology |
Subject encyclopedias, handbooks, companions |
|
Supporting Information:
causes, effects, comparisons/contrast,
proof, arguments
|
Most current:
magazines, scholarly journal articles
Most comprehensive:
books
|
|
Specific detailed information:
definitions, statistics, facts
|
Statistical sources, almanacs, dictionaries
|
| Predictions/conclusions/hypotheses |
Books and periodicals |
| Biographical information |
Reference books, books |
| Primary sources |
Literary texts; newspapers;
archival collections; reprints of letters, diaries; collections
of historical materials; government publications;
historical manuscripts on microform
|
| Illustrations, pictures, photographs |
All of the above |
For example:
Statistical Abstract of the United States--Facts,
numerical data
Dictionary of the Middle Ages--background, biographies
Encyclopedia of Human Biology--focus
on specific discipline
Studies in Short Fiction--scholarly
analysis, scholarly journal
National Review--popular
magazine, current timeframe, opinion
New York Times (editorial page)--current
timeframe, opinion
American National Biography--biographical,
historical, bibliography
Determine the terminology that you can use in locating sources on your
topic
To help you narrow your topic, you could look for keywords
or headings in the indexes of encyclopedias, in periodical indexes, or
in the table of contents of books covering your topic. All of these sources
can provide you with terms that will aid you in your search.
    
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