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ENG1002- Lockwood-Eng Composition II

Preliminary Research Strategies

Define and explore your topic as you begin your research.

Identify what you already know about your topic, as well as what you would like to learn

  • Begin by creating a list of all the things that you already know about your topic.
  • Create a second list of thing that you hope to learn about your topic. Are there any subtopics in your first list that you would like to research more deeply?

What you know. Pollution harms animals and the environment. Plastic is a major source of pollution. Humans are the cause of pollution. What you would like to learn. Which animals are most at risk? How does pollution harm them? What locations are impacted the most? What are other major pollutants? What makes them toxic or harmful? How do pollutants enter the environment? What can be done to reduce pollution? Are there laws that limit pollution?

Brainstorm a list of search terms

  • Select words that describe your topic or the information that you would like to locate.
  • Consider synonyms for these words, as well as related terms.
  • Is your topic tied to a specific location, timeframe, age range or population? If so, include words that describe them.

 

Example topic: Pollution harms ocean wildlife

  • Search terms: Ocean, Pollution, Wildlife
  • Synonyms and related terms: Water, Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Plastic, Oil, Chemicals, Marine Animals, Birds, Fish, Coral
  • Specific information: Gulf of Mexico, 2010, Oil Spill, Oil Drilling, Sea Turtles

Example Topic: Pollution harms ocean wildlife. Topic search terms: Ocean, Pollution, Wildlife. Synonyms & Related Words: Sea, Atlantic Ocean. Plastic, oil, Chemicals. Birds, Fish, Coral. Specific information: Gulf of Mexico, 2010, Oil Spill, Oil Drilling, Sea Turtles

Use sample searches to discover how much information is available

  • Try a few internet and database searches and explore the results.
  • Mix and match your search terms to create a variety of searches. 
  • Evaluate how much information appeared in your search results. Were there any search term combinations that brought back the best information?

Databases to try:

Expand or narrow your topic

  • If there seems to be too much information to cover, try breaking your topic down into smaller pieces. This will help narrow your focus.
  • If you can't seem to find enough information about your topic, try broadening it. You can still use your original throughs and research as part of your expanded topic

Keep your searches and sources organized

As you continue your research, keep track of:

  • The search terms that bring back the best results
  • The databases and websites that you've searched
  • Words, phrases, or subjects that appear often in your search results
    • These can mixed with your original search terms to locate similar sources
  • Potential sources for your research paper 
    • Title of source
    • Where you located it (Database or website name)
    • Permalink or URL

You can find more organization tips under the Organize tab of this guide.