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Research Strategies

Research Strategies. Dr. Ramchandran Sethuraman Long Beach City College The ideas for the Powerpoint presentation are drawn and used with permission from the CSU system. Defining your research topic. Use critical thinking skills State your topic as a question Identify concepts

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Research Strategies

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  1. Research Strategies Dr. Ramchandran Sethuraman Long Beach City College The ideas for the Powerpoint presentation are drawn and used with permission from the CSU system

  2. Defining your research topic • Use critical thinking skills • State your topic as a question • Identify concepts • If necessary, narrow or broaden your topic

  3. Stating your topic as a question • Enables you to clarify and focus on topic • Topic: drinking and driving • How does drinking affect driving? • What are the laws on drinking and driving? • What are the statistics on drinking and driving?

  4. Identify Concepts • Once you have stated your topic as a question, you need to identify the main concepts in the question • Do this by picking out the significant terms in your question. . . . .

  5. Significant Terms/Concepts • How does drinkingaffect driving? • What are the laws on drinking and driving? • What are the statistics on drinking and driving? Italics indicate the key concepts

  6. Related Terms for Concepts • Make a list of related terms and synonyms • This may provide additional terms to use when searching for information • It may also suggest ways to narrow or broaden your topic • Example: rabbit/bunny)

  7. Listing related terms

  8. Narrowing or Broadening Topic • Finding too much or too little information may mean that you have to narrow or broaden your topic • Examples follow on next slides. . . .

  9. Narrowing the Topic • To narrow a topic, try adding some concrete or specific terms to your question • What are California’s laws on drinking and driving? • What are the statistics on teenage drinking and driving? Once you have formulated a new question, repeat the process of picking out significant terms and making a list of synonyms and related terms

  10. Broadening the Topic • To broaden a topic, try selecting terms that are more general • How does substance abuse affect driving? Once you have formulated a new question, repeat the process of picking out significant terms and making a list of synonyms and related terms

  11. Information needed depends on the assignment! • What type of assignment is it? • How much information do you need? • Is currency an issue? • Particular type of publication? . . . . • Do you need to use primary sources? • Information in a particular format? • Is point of view an issue?

  12. What type of assignment is it? Assignments can vary: • Short oral presentation • Critiques • Summaries • Short essays • Term papers/projects

  13. How much information do you need? Once you have answered the previous question (nature of the assignment) you will have a good idea of how much information you need. Some assignments can be completed by studying brief summaries or overviews - others require more comprehensive information.

  14. Currency? • Some assignments require you to use the most current information. • Others require you to find historical and/or information over a period of time. • Yet others require you to find both (current and retroscpective).

  15. Type of Information • Some assignments may require you to use scholarly or professional journals. • Depending on the topic you may need to consult government information, business sources, trade journals etc. • Some others may actually want you to consult popular journals • And lets not forget books!

  16. Do you need to use primary sources? • Most cases you will use secondary sources (books and articles). • In some cases you may be required to use primary sources (diaries, interviews, letters or raw data).

  17. Do you need information in a particular format? In addition to print materials, your assignment may require you to use other kinds of sources such as: • Numeric sources (statistics) • Electronic sources (the Web, computer files, listservs) • Visual (art slides, maps etc.) • Audio sources (audio tapes)

  18. Is Point of View an issue? • For debates, argumentative essays you may need to find information that presents a particular point of view, opposing points of view or a range of viewpoints.

  19. Summary • You have learned the process of choosing, defining and refining a research topic • You have learned that it is an iterative (repetitive) process • You have learned how to analyze your given topic to determine the amount and type of information you need to gather. • You are now ready to put these skills into action!

  20. Good strategy ensures that you reach your research goals successfully!

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