| What is your specific topic? |
| Write down your topic and the aspects
involved. Your topic can be a keyword, a phrase, or a complete sentence. |
| What types of materials do you
need and how many? Do you need Books? Journal articles?
Government Documents? Statistics? Newspaper sources? Scholarly or
popular articles? |
| Do you need current information?
Historical information? Both? |
| Formulate your research strategy. |
| 1. |
Can you identify the key terms in the
topic that are unique? |
| 2. |
What synonyms or other similar concepts
might you use to make your search more comprehensive? |
| 3. |
What synonyms or other similar concepts
might you use to make your search more comprehensive? |
| 4. |
Is your topic so narrow that not enough
information is found? If so, you might want to choose a broader
term. |
| 5. |
Are there any thesaurus, indexes, or
subject terms that are specific to a database? |
| Select relevant research sources
or databases. Our library has a wealth of resources for your
research needs including books, articles, indexes and recommended web
sites. Use the buttons to the left to see the wide variety of sources
available, both paper and online. |
| Find out more about the research
process by reading the
CSU Information Competency project. |
| Evaluate your search results. |
| 1. |
Are your search result relevant? Why or
why not? |
| 2. |
Is the information (articles or books)
written in an authoritative, accurate, and objective? |
| 3. |
How might you improve your search result? |
| Read Library
Survival Skills to ensure that you understand the research process
and familiarize yourself with the Pollak Library. |
| Ask for assistance. |
| 1. |
You will find Librarians at the Reference
Desk on the first floor of the North Wing of the Pollak library. |
| 2. |
You may also fill out a "Research
Assistance Appointment Form" for long inquiries and in depth help. |
| 3. |
You may email me. |
| Cite your sources.
Consult
style guides for
more information. |
