Welcome to Finding Great Research! This workshop is a comprehensive overview of how to conduct research. Along the way we, will give you strategies that will help you develop your research skills. This includes the different types of sources, how to move from a broad research topic to a specific research question, and how to effectively use the Shapiro Library.
The concepts below are covered in depth in the workshop. You will learn about the different types of sources, how to find effective keywords, identify research gaps, and use Boolean operators to improve your database searches and find reliable sources for your research.
Primary source: Raw data or original material that provides direct evidence or firsthand testimony about a topic, event, person, or time period
Examples:
Diaries, letters, memoirs, autobiographies, interviews, speeches, oral histories, personal narratives, works of art, photographs, music, literature and even archeological artifacts.
Secondary source: Analysis or interpretation of information presented in primary sources. They are created after the fact and provide comments and evaluation of primary data or events.
Examples:
Dissertations, Newspaper, Editorials, Biographies, Art reviews, Textbooks, Books that interpret or analyze, Political commentary or reviews, Literature reviews or anything opinion based.
Tertiary source: Context, summary or compilation of primary and secondary sources and do not contain original research.
Examples:
Encyclopedias (Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia), Indexes and abstracts, Factbooks and almanacs, Databases, Textbooks, Manuals and guidebooks
- First, skim general sources rather than reading every word. As you skim, highlight or write down important terms, concepts, and phrases that you see appearing over and over again.
- Also pay attention to headings, bolded words, and summaries. These parts of a text are designed to show you what the author thinks is most important, which makes them great places to find keywords.
- Look for synonyms and related words as well. Different authors may use different wording to describe the same idea, so keeping track of those variations will help broaden your search results.
- You can also use your own questions or the main themes you’re interested in as keyword starters. If you already know what you want to explore, turn those ideas into search terms.
Evaluating sources means looking carefully at the information they provide and considering how reliable, accurate, and useful it is.
Consider the following
Purpose & Context
Is this source appropriate for my research question?
Credibility
Who created it, and what standards or review process does it follow?
Evidence & Verification
Are claims supported and confirmed by other reliable sources?
Perspective & Bias
What viewpoint is present, and how does it shape the information?
Currency (when relevant)
Is the information up to date for this topic?
An area, question, or topic in a field of study that has not been fully explored, addressed, or understood by existing research.
Words that help you control how ideas are combined when you search in a database. They help with how the words you type relate to each other.
For more information on the concepts from today's workshop, check out these links:
ARC Guide: What is a Scholarly Source?
ARC Guide: How to Read a Research Article: A Reading Smarter, Not Harder, Strategy
ARC Guide: Narrow Your Topic with the Research Cycle (with Video)
ARC Guide: The Research Question (with Video)
Need More Help?
Want additional support? Sign up for our group sessions. Take a look at the full workshop schedule. For help signing up and accessing the Academic Support Center, see the How to Book ASC Sessions Page.