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UNIV 2001/2002: Research Guide: Search Tips and Tricks

Resources and research tips for students enrolled in UNIV 2001: Cross Cultural Perspectives or UNIV 2002: Global Issues.

Choosing a topic can be one of the hardest stages of a research project! In this section, you'll find a series of steps towards developing your topic. Feel free to pick and choose from this list, in any order that you'd like. 

a. Brainstorm Ideas on Paper

After reviewing your assignment prompt, think broadly about which areas you would like to explore. When you have a broad area or two in mind, begin brainstorming some of the possible terms that are related to those areas and write them down. They don’t need to be complete thoughts, just some words that come up when you think about your research question.

Example: My assignment is to choose a topic related to gender discrimination in the workplace. I brainstormed the following words: 'gender', 'women, 'discrimination', 'bias', 'pay', 'motherhood', 'inequity'. 

b. Google it!

When you are choosing a research topic, surveying a number of different kinds of resources can a good way of getting some basic background knowledge on your topic. Try a few different searches (possibly using the terms that you brainstormed in the previous exercise) and see what comes up. From there, you may be able to narrow down a topic. 

Example: When I searched for gender AND “workplace discrimination” AND women in Google’s search box, I came across a number of information resources (news, media, nonprofit organizations, videos, etc.) related to the different forms of discrimination women experience in the workplace. Perhaps from there, I could explore how pay discrimination has affected women.

 

c. Peruse the Library’s Resources

This can be especially helpful if you are wondering if there is any scholarly information on your topic. In addition to perusing the Internet for some basic background information on your areas of interest, the library can offer you the following resources:

  • Newspapers, to provide ideas for topics based on current events or trends.
  • Reference books such as encyclopedias, which can provide information on a particular subject.
  • Subject-specific magazines and journals with insights into what is currently being researched and written about in that particular field.
  • Access to e-resources such as Points of View Reference Center, which can give you a well-rounded perspective on your area of interest.

Example: I used Points of View Reference Center's topic overviews to build some background knowledge on Gender Equality.

d. Develop a Question

Since your thesis statement is essentially an answer to a question, it can be helpful to frame your topic ideas as questions. Jot a few down to see if you can turn your ideas into a research question. Your questions should be open-ended to allow for multiple interpretations and in-depth exploration of your topic.

Example: Why are women paid less? Is the pay gap linked to motherhood? How can we work to close the pay gap?

 

*Note that Google search results may vary depending on your unique search habits.

Before beginning the search process, it is important to plot your steps. You search process may look a little like this:

  1. Define your topic
  2. Generate search terms 
  3. Conduct search 
  4. Browse results  
  5. Generate new search terms 
  6. Revise your topic

This is a dynamic process and you should be able to add to your list of terms and phrases as you evaluate the results you are getting from your search attempts. 

 

Generating keywords or search terms before conducting your search is a great way to save time, optimize your results, and become a more efficient searcher. 

Brainstorming Search Terms

A good place to start brainstorming search terms is with your topic question: start by picking it apart, focusing on the words that represent the main idea. 

i.e.

  • Topic Question: How is football similar to religion in the United States?
  • Main Idea Words: football, America or "United States", religion

OR 

  • Topic Question: How are smartphones used to bolster the economies in developing countries?
  • Main Idea Words: smartphones or "cell phones", economy, "developing countries" or "developing nations"

 

Generating search terms is a dynamic process, which means that the first terms you come up with will most likely not be your last. You should continue to add to your list of keywords and phrases as you search. 

When you have a search term/phrase that contains more than one word, you will need to put it inside quotation marks. This is to ensure that all of the words appear in the search results in their intended order and not individually or out of context. 

Potential searches might look like:

i.e. football AND religion AND "United States"

i.e. smartphones OR "cell phones" AND "developing countries" OR "developing nations"

i.e. gender AND women AND workplace OR work 

Boolean operators are used to connect and define the relationship between your search terms and phrases. The three Boolean operators are: AND, OR, and NOT. 

AND is used when you want two or more search terms to appear in the results. 

i.e. culture AND "mental health" ; pollution AND "greenhouse gases" 

OR is used when you have an alternative term that is interchangeable with another. In this scenario, you are okay with either term appearing in the results, or both.

i.e. women OR females AND "workplace discrimination" ; pollution OR "climate change" AND "greenhouse gases"

NOT is used when you continue to get search results containing irrelevant information, that you would like to exclude. 

i.e. If you are doing a search for information on Jamaica the country and you keep getting results for Jamaica, Queens, you might change your search string to: Jamaica NOT "Queens" AND culture 

CRAAP Test

How do you know if you have found “good” information?  The CRAAP Test is a list of questions that you can use to evaluate the information that you find.

Currency: the timeliness of the information

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Is the information current or out-of-date for your topic?
  • Are the links functional?

Relevance: the importance of the information for your needs

  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
  • Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

Authority: the source of the information

  • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
  • Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
  • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
  • What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
    • examples: .com (commercial), .edu (educational), .gov (U.S. government), .org (nonprofit organization), or .net (network)

Accuracy: the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content

  • Where does the information come from?
  • Is the information supported by evidence?
  • Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
  • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
  • Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?

Purpose: the reason the information exists

  • What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
  • Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
  • Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

 

Source: California State University, Chico