Research Strategy: Finding Information Efficiently

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The following six steps outline a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper, writing the paper and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and familiarity with the library, you will rearrange or repeat these steps. For some subjects, books may be sufficient; for others, periodical articles will be best. Adapt this outline to your needs.

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1.   IDENTIFY YOUR TOPIC

State your topic as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the use of tobacco products by college students, you might pose the question: "What effect does the use of tobacco products have on the health of college students?" Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question.

2.   FIND BACKROUND INFORMATION

Look up your keywords in encyclopedia indexes, subject headings or descriptor lists. Read articles in subject and general encyclopedias to set the context for your research. Note any relevant items in the bibliographies at the end of the articles. Additional backround information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.

3.   FIND BOOKS IN THE FAU LIBRARIES CATALOG

Use keyword searching for a narrow or complex search topic. Use subject searching for a broad subject. Print or write down the citation (author, title, etc.) and the location information (call number and library [Jupiter, Boca, PSL]). Note the circulation status. When you pull the book from the shelf, scan the bibliography for additional sources. Watch for book-length bibliographies and annual reviews on your subject; they list citations to hundreds of books and articles in one subject area. Check the standard subject heading "YOUR SUBJECT -- BIBLIOGRAPHY" or titles beginning with Annual Review of Your Subject in the FAU Libraries catalog.

4.   USE FAU'S ONLINE DATABASES TO FIND JOURNAL ARTICLES

Use index databases to find the abstract or full-text to articles. When reviewing database titles, choose ones that are best suited to your particular topic. Descriptions are available for each database. The Subject Area pages and the library staff may also be helpful in making the best selection.

When you have recorded an article from a database, check to see if FAU owns the periodical. Search the Electronic Journal list or the FAU catalog for titles. For journals not found at Jupiter or online, you will need to make a request from Interlibrary Loan.

• FAU's Online Databases

• 360 Search

5.   EVALUATE WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND

See Skill Guide No. 2, "How to Critically Analyze Information Sources" and Skill Guide No. 3, "Distinguishing Scholarly from Non-Scholarly Periodicals" for suggestions on evaluating the authority and quality of the books and articles you have located. If you found too many or two few sources, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic. Check with the library staff or your instructor.

6.  USE A STANDARD FORMAT FOR YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY

FAU maintains a web page of links to Citation Styles. This includes APA, MLA and Turabian (Chicago) formats. Publication manuals for each of these styles are kept at the Reference Desk. There are also a number of books in the collection which may be borrowed for this purpose. See our page, Research Paper - Chicago/Turabian, for suggested titles or search the catalog for availability of books that may guide your work.

Research Tips

WORK FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC:
Find backround information first, then use more specific and recent sources.

WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU FIND AND WHERE YOU FIND IT:
Write (or print out) a complete citation for each source you find; you may need it again later.

TRANSLATE YOUR TOPIC INTO THE SUBJECT LANGUAGE OF THE INDEXES AND CATALOGS YOU USE:
Check your topic words against a thesaurus, subject heading or descriptor list.

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The following are a few of the many books designed to help you navigate the research process (ask the library staff for others):

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SELECTING A TOPIC, TAKING NOTES, ORGANIZING A DRAFT

• Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed., New York: MLA, 2003. (LB 2369 .G53 2003)
  
  

WRITING THE PAPER: STYLE AND USAGE

• Hodges, John C. Harbrace College Handbook. 13th ed. Ft. Worth: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1998. (LB 2369 .G53 1998)
  
  
• Strunk, William and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed., New York: Macmillan, 1979. (PE 1408 .S772 1979)
  
  

THE FINAL PRODUCT: FORMAT AND DOCUMENTATION

• American Psychological Association. Publication Manual. 5th ed., Washington: APA, 2001. (BF 76.7 .P83 2001)
  
  
• Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 8th ed., Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman, 1996. (LB 2369 .L4 1996)
  
  
• Turabian, Kate L. and Bonnie B. Honigsblum. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. 7th ed., Chicago: Univ Chicago Pr., 2007. (LB 2369 .T8 2007)