Research a Topic

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Research a Topic

• Step - by - Step
• Process

Shelley Roseman Jeremy Richard Library
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Researching a Topic
Survey the Territory The point of this step is
to see if there is enough information out there
to come up with a good paper.

• Start off with a BROAD topic
• Look at reference books, HOMER, and some internet
  sites to see whats out there
• Eventually narrow your topic to createa workable
  thesis statement.

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Exploring A Topic

• Research Strategy

What termscan I use to search?
What is the historyof the topic?
What is currentabout the topic?
What is on the internet?
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Search Terms
What termscan I use to search?

• Gay Marriages

Gay couples
Same-sex marriage
marriage
homosexuality
lesbians
Same- sex unions
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Reference Sources

• Encyclopedias Britannica Online

• an online encyclopedia that includes thousands
  of links to Web sites selected, rated, and
  reviewed by Britannica editors.
• access to Merriam-Webster's "One Click"
  Dictionary and Thesaurus.
• explores articles, images, and media from past
  editions of the encyclopedia. It will include
  biographies, historical maps, etc

What is the historyof the topic?
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Subject Encyclopedias

• Encyclopedia of HomosexualityRef HQ 76.25 E53
• Encyclopedia of Marriage and the FamilyRef HQ9
  E52
• Encyclopedia of Family LifeRef HQ 534 E53

What is the historyof the topic?
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Books HOMER
What is the historyof the topic?
topic
search strategy
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Articles Infotrac

• InfoTrac includes nearly 3,000 full-text titles
  five newspaper indexes -- a total of more than
  6,000 titles in all with 20 years of backfile
  coverage from 1980 to present.
• Periodicals -- General interest magazines
  refereed academic journals business
  publications plus specialty titles in law,
  health care and computers
• Newswires -- 89 wire services covering general
  news, broadcast news, government, business press
  releases, industry topics, sports and current
  events from all over the world
• Newspapers from The New York Times, Wall Street
  Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and
  Christian Science Monitor

What is currentabout the topic?
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Current News
California Supreme Court invalidates gay
marriages
The House of Representatives has approved a bill
that would prohibit federal courts from ruling on
the merits of a 1996 law that allowed states not
to recognize gay marriages performed by other
states.
Northern Illinois U. End of gay marriages
'temporary setback'
California court voids 4,000 gay marriages.
U.S. Senate takes up fight on banning gay
marriages
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Using the Internet
507,000 results
Domain? Edu, com, org,gov?
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Evaluating Web Sites

• Who is publishing the material?
• How current is it?
• How credible is it?
• Does it have a bias?
• Does it have a contact?
• Does it have an author?
• Is it trying to sell you something?

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Final Words

• Use the library homepage
• http//www.lib.uconn.edu
• Use HOMER for books
• Use InfoTrac for articles
• Use the Internet cautiously
• Ask a librarian for help in finding material.

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Questions?
Shelley.roseman_at_uconn.edu 251-8522