10. Advice for selecting a topic
• WHY: are you taking this class? doing this degree?
• Is the topic compelling? (SO WHAT?)
• Start big, narrow down: map it out
• Logical consistency = good
• Let the thinkers talk to each other
• Read: what questions have others left unanswered?
• Join the conversation
27. Where do you usually
find journal articles?
Why???
28. Recommended databases
• International Bibliography of the Social
Sciences
• International Political Science Abstracts
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
• Alternative Press Index
• Historical Abstracts
34. Take away
• Bibliographies are your friends
• Not all information is equal. Evaluate!
• The information type determines the tool
• Research takes digging. Think creatively!
38. Credits
• Information timeline. Created by Anna Stewart, Librarian, St. Edward’s
University. Retrieved September 21, 2009 from:
http://libr.stedwards.edu/about_library/depts/instruction/instr_class_docs.
htm. Used with permission.
• Data from P. Gil, "What is the invisible web?" Dec. 2010. Schematic by N.
Tann, Goshen College, March 2011.
• Wikipedia image copyright Wikimedia foundation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wikipedia-logo-en-big.png
• Chocolate tools by By JanneM
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jannem/3312116875/ License: Attribution-
ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
• Life ring by mag3737
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50318388@N00/2071089166 / License:
Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
• Pargeter by b_d_solis
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/1411905457/. License: Attribution
2.0 Generic
• Riced out by dslrninja.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65694461@N00/350982990/ License:
Attribution 2.0 Generic
Notes de l'éditeur
Today we learned how to:Start your researchKnow what kind of information you need/Find information you needUnderstand what you’re looking atNarrow or broaden your searchGet more help