Group 2 Ryan&Lu
Eng191S21 Sep29
Presentation on Research Writing
1. Conducting Research
· How to search a database
o Start with the key words’ search and if that doesn’t work try synonyms or other related words
o If you have to many search results try and narrow your search result by connecting two words with AND. Ex. Childhood AND obesity
· When to use a print index
o If you want to search for articles before the 1980s you will need to use a print index.
o Example on page 540
· To locate books, consult the library’s catalog
o If you have too few results try different keywords or search for books on broader topics
o Some catalogs use words you would expect, for example instead of using movie use motion picture
o If you have to many results you will need to narrow your search with an advanced search
o Once you have narrowed your search result you can display or print the complete record for each source
· To locate a wide variety of sources, turn to the web
o The web is an excellent resource
o The web lacks quality control, making some sources bad, so we need to evaluate sources with special care
2. Evaluating Sources
· Search engine
o Take search terms and seek matches among millions of websites
o When using a search engine narrow your search as much as possible
· Directories
o Are put together by information specialists who choose reputable sites
o Some directories are more selective and therefore are more scholary
· Digital archives
o Archives contain the texts of poems, books, speeches, political cartoons, and historically significant documents.
· Government and news sites
o Include resources such as legal texts, facts and statistics, government reports, and searchable reference databases
· Discussion forums
o Offer a way to communicate with experts and others who have interest in your topic
o Be aware that many of the people you contact in discussion forums will not be experts
· Reference work
o Reference works provide information in easily digested nuggets; they often serve as a good overview of your subject and include references to the most significant works on a topic
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