Jane McKenna

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Jane McKenna Librarian

• Research Question and Keywords

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Choose Subject

• Something that interests you
• Browse textbook, lecture notes, magazines, and
  newspapers for ideas
• Ask your instructor or a librarian for help

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Gain an Overview of Subject

• Gain background knowledge by doing a preliminary
  search in resources such as the Library catalog,
  reference books, and article databases.
• Key events, issues, history, controversial
  questions, key thinkers, key publications,
  quantity of info. available, etc.
• Determine keywords for your subject using
  resources listed above

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Narrow to a Specific Question

• A research question focuses on one particular
  aspect, event, controversy, issue or dilemma
  within a larger subject.
• Question should be appropriately narrow for a
  college level research paper.
• Entire book on topic means it is too broad
• Clearly worded and grammatically correct
• Question should be open-ended and in the form of
  a question.
• Question should be academically challenging.
  Avoid bland questions that fail to provoke
  thoughtful debate or overused questions.
• Question should be grounded and be based on
  evidence rather than beliefs.
• Allows you to take a stance, make a judgment
  based on analysis of research, allows you to
  bring insight to the question.

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Example

• Broad Subject violence
• Research Question
• Too Broad What makes children violent?
• Too Narrow How many children have committed
  violent crimes in the last year?
• Not Open Why does playing video games make
  children so violent?
• Good Question Does playing video games make
  children violent?

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Main Concepts of Question

• What is the effect of _____ on ____ ?
• What is the role of _____ on ____?
• How has the use of ____ affected ___?
• Why has ___ led to ____?

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Example

• Broad Subject Smoking
• Research Question What is the role of depression
  in smoking behavior?

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Identifying Concepts and KeywordsQuestion
What is the role of depression in smoking
behavior?
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3



Search Statements
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Identifying Concepts and KeywordsQuestion
What is the role of depression in smoking
behavior?
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3
smoking depression
tobacco depressed
nicotine
Search Statements smoking and
depression tobacco and depression smoking and
depressed nicotine and depression
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Question How has the use of performance
enhancing drugs changed professional baseball?
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3



Search Statements
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QUESTION Should violence and nudity in wrestling
be more regulated?
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3



Search Statements
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QuestionHow is computer hardware and software
made?
Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3



Search Statements
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Overview of Keywords Worksheet Assignment

• Determine what the main concepts are for your
  assigned question and write them on the first
  line of the Keywords Worksheet.
• Brainstorm related keywords for each concept and
  place them underneath that concept on the
  Worksheet.
• Use the databases to locate new keywords for the
  worksheet.
• Test and write out successful search statements
  (using AND to combine concepts).