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Research Strategies

:: The Library

:: Search Strategy

:: Topic

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:: Databases I

:: Databases II

:: Databases III

:: Databases IV

:: Quick Search

:: Evaluation

:: Plagiarism

:: Citing

Search Strategy
Use a search strategy to locate better resources more quickly and efficiently.

In the research process, a search strategy is a plan for locating credible information. Different investigations require different emphases within the search strategy, but most search strategies use some or all of the following elements, and this research tutorial will help you with each of these ideas:

Choosing a topic or formulating a thesis

Locating background information in reference resources

Developing a list of search terms and comparing keywords to subject headings

Finding articles from journals, magazines, or newspapers

Finding books, government documents, audiovisual resources, and other items

Finding specific types of information such as statistics, chronologies, or financial data

Checking the Internet for current information from organizations or companies

Critically evaluating the information located

Getting help

Earth under a Magnifying Glass

Although we have listed the search strategy steps in a linear progression, most researchers do some backtracking and retracing of steps as they are informed by their research and new ideas or directions occur to them. The Longman Concise Companion describes this process in Section 18a, "Developing a Search Strategy and Working Bibliography."

Planning Your Time Wisely
Block out the amount of time that you intend to devote to each facet of your research and writing. A "Project Calculator" can help you establish the critical deadlines for each activity that you need to complete in order to produce your paper. The "Project Calculator" on the INFOhio site includes prompts to assist you in each phase of the writing process. The Longman Concise Companion describes this process in Section 17e, "Creating a Research File and a Timeline."

The Working Bibliography Note cards
As you research, maintain a working bibliography. Your working bibliography can be stored in electronic format, printed out, or hand-written. It should include all potential references and other sources of information -- annotations, quotations, entire articles, etc. The Longman Concise Companion describes this process in Section 17e, "Creating a Research File and a Timeline" and in Section 19a, "Developing a Search Strategy and Working Bibliography."

To store your citations and to create your bibliography, you may want to use a bibliographic management tool such as Noodle Bib or EndNote Web (click the My EndNote Web tab at the top of the screen). For more information about these bibliographic management resources, see the tutorial on Citing.

Researcher's Glossary

Bibliography -- A list of sources. In MLA style, the list of sources referred to in the paper is called the "Works Cited." APA style makes a distinction between the References (the works cited) and the bibliography, a list of materials which may provide further information. A working bibliography is the list of all the sources you consult as you are investigating and gathering information about your topic; it is not limited to only those works that you specifically refer to in your paper. For more information about bibliographies, see the tutorial on Citing.

To go to the next page in the Research Strategies tutorial, click Topic.

Need Help?

Get help via IM, Chat With a Librarian, email (Reference_Services@Shawnee.edu), or by phoning (740.351.3321).

If you prefer face-to-face assistance, stop by the Clark Memorial Library Reference Counter or schedule a Research Consultation with a Reference Librarian.

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