Introduction to Research Strategy
From Alkek Library Information Literacy Wiki
Contents |
Beginning Your Research
Moving from general to specific concepts typically helps you gain a more thorough understanding of the topic when it is unfamiliar to you. As your knowledge of the topic grows, you will become better equipped to select a narrower research topic. This guide will take you through each step of the general research strategy below.
Select a Topic: When beginning your research, choosing a topic is sometimes difficult. Before selecting a topic, consider a few criteria:
- Interest: Select something you will enjoy learning about.
- Length of paper: Choose a topic that can be covered adequately in assignment's suggested length.
- General subject: It's often helpful to begin with a broad topic that can be refined or narrowed.
- Time/date: Pick a topic that has had time to be adequately debated in print.
- Professor's guidelines: Complete the assignment given! You may or may not have flexibility regarding your topic or types of material to include.
Selection and Evaluation of Resources:
Selecting materials to use in your paper requires careful evaluation of each item you have collected. Critical thinkers analyze the data they've retrieved. Some of the criteria that may help you evaluate data are:
- Be aware of your own viewpoints & how they affect your research.
- Look for bias on the part of the authors.
- Look for alternative viewpoints on the issue.
- Examine the date of materials selected (too old, too new).
- Select adequate information/evidence to support your argument.
- Have you selected materials published by well respected, mainstream publishers or journals?
- Analyze the bibliographies of the works you have selected in order to identify key authors and publications debating your topic.
- Have you relied too heavily on searching the web instead of coming into the library to use traditional/reliable research materials?
Gathering Background Data: By conducting background research in the reference collection, you will discover important issues and develop ideas for your paper's focus.
- Reference databases: Contain both general and subject specific encyclopedias and dictionaries. Some that can even help you decide how to narrow or expand your topic. Lists of databases "By Type" can also be compiled by using the drop down menu on the databases page. Take a look at this list of "Dictionaries & Encyclopedias" databases.
- Example: Credo Reference You can search for any topic to find out more about it using Credo Reference or try their concept map by putting your search terms in the search field and clicking on the "concept map" link next to it. The concept map will show you ideas related to your topic and help you think of ways to narrow or broaden your research topic.
- Subject Encyclopedias: Contain substantive essays on topics in specific fields of knowledge or academic disciplines.
- Example: Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Reference B41.E53
- Specialized Dictionaries: Define jargon used in specific fields.
- Example: Black's Law Dictionary — Reference KF156 .B532
Refining your Topic: When gathering and reading background data, quite often you discover a variety of subtopics and can estimate the amount of materials available. You are probably better equipped now to narrow your topic. Consider the following questions to help refine a topic:
- Can you limit the topic/population by geography, date, gender, age, or environment?
- What important people are discussed in this field?
- What specific aspects of this topic are you most interested in?
- How much material appears to be available on the specific aspects of the topic?
Gather Research Material
The Online Catalog lists books, journals, and audiovisual materials in the library. Search the online catalog for items by title, author, subject, or keyword.
Additional eBook collections can be found here
| Keyword Search: Finds all material whose records have this phrase in any part of the record: title, author, publisher, notes. | Truncation: Using the star/asterisk at the end of a root, finds all variant forms: alcohol* will find alcohol, alcoholism, alcoholics, alcoholic, etc. | ||||||
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| OR: Finds all material whose records contain either word/phrase entered in Search. | AND: Finds all material whose records contain all words/phrases entered in Search. | ||||||
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| Title Search: Highlight the Title radio button. Enter title words, omitting A, An, The if they begin the title. | Author: Finds all material whose records have this phrase in any part of the record: title, author, publisher, notes. | ||||||
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Databases for Finding Journal Articles
What exactly is a Database?
- Databases are electronic indexes that provide searchable "lists" of articles printed in journals, popular magazines, newspapers, or other items.
- They can usually be searched by subject, title, and/or author.
- Some databases provide the full text of an article, while others may only provide citation information: the article's author & title, periodical title containing the article, volume, date, pages. If no full text is available through the database, you may then need to retrieve the article in print and photocopy it in the library.
- Do you know the difference between scholarly journals and popular magazines? If not, this is a useful comparison
- Consult the Databases page for the most up-to-date list of all available Online Databases. You can choose databases by Subject, for example, you may want to search articles in the Sociology subject area. Or you may need to search for a type of material, for example, you may need only book reviews. Use the "By Type" drop down menu on the databases page.
- Indexes scholarly journals spanning a broad range of disciplines and current events in the areas of art, education, history, humanities, literature, popular science, psychology, economics, and cultural studies.
- Provides full text for nearly 3,180 scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.
- Citations for dissertations & theses from 1861 to the present. Titles published since 1997 are available for download in PDF format. Citations for dissertations from 1980 forward include abstracts written by the author. Citations for master's theses from 1988 forward include abstracts.
- Includes administration and supervision, pre-school, elementary, secondary, higher and adult education, teacher education, teaching methods, and curriculum.
- Includes astronomy, atmospheric science, biology, botany, chemistry, earth science, environment and conservation, food and nutrition, mathematics, genetics, medicine and health, microbiology, oceanography, physics, physiology, psychology, and zoology.
- Provides citations and some full text articles dealing with consumer health, and health related subjects from magazines, newspapers, newsletters, pamphlets and journals.
- Includes archaeology, art, area studies, folklore, language and literature, history, performing arts, philosophy, and religion.
- Indexes psychology and counseling journals.
- Indexes journals covering anthropology, economics, environmental sciences, geography, psychology, political science, sociology, and social work.
- Full text literary biographies and criticism, covering approximately 90,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists, and other writers. Includes several major Gale publications such as: Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Contemporary Authors, & other Gale publications.
Finding Journals
Periodical List
Main article: Periodical List
- Once you have searched for articles in the databases, you will find that not all citations were available full text, so you'll need to see if the journal that has your article is available in print in the Library or online. You may also just need to see if the Library subscribes to a journal you need to look at. The best list of the Library’s periodical subscriptions is the online Periodical List search. It identifies whether a periodical is available in print at the Library or electronically through a database/vendor. You can search for journals by title, or also browse for journals by subject.
You can also use the "Subject" search tab at the top of the Periodical List page to search for journals by subject area.
The example below shows that Comparative Literature Studies is available as a Print/Microfiche/Microfilm subscription and is also available as a Full Text/Electronic journal. There are also coverage dates to indicate which years are available.
Interlibrary Loan
- If the Alkek library does not own a book or journal you need, a book could be borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, while a copy of an article could be requested if we do not have access to a journal. Contact 245-4893 or stop by Room 213 of the library for further Interlibrary Loan information.
TexShare
- A library resource sharing program of all public Texas college libraries. Texas State students obtain TexShare cards at the Alkek Library's circulation desk. This card entitles you to checkout privileges at other public college libraries in Texas.
Other Information Sources Possibilities
Government Documents
- The library receives U.S. and State of Texas documents on a variety of topics. Documents range from statistical resources, to lengthy research endeavors, to brief pamphlets. Ask for assistance in finding these materials at the Government Documents Service Desk, 4th floor.
Theses
- SWT/TxState theses are housed at call number AS36 .T46. Theses typically provide in-depth discussion and literature reviews of their research topic. To find specific titles, Subject search the phrase "SWT Dept of (insert dept here) theses" in the Online Catalog. For newer theses, Subject search the phrase "Texas State University San Marcos Dept of (insert dept here) theses" in the Online Catalog.
Writing and Citation Guides
- Also, when writing your paper, your professor may ask that it is in a particular writing style. Consult our Citation Guides page (it's also under the help menu on our home page)for help with how to format your paper for a particular style. The SLAC lab is also available for in-person and online help for editing your papers and checking your formatting.
| If you are having trouble locating resources or have a question, Ask a Librarian for help.
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| ♦ Texas State University – San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System ♦ |
| Alternate format available on request |
