General Research Tips

(or)

Top Ten Things I Wish They Had Told Me BEFORE I Wrote That Paper...

Develop a list of keywords and subject headings...

The language you use to describe your topic might not be the language that others have used. If you start with keywords that make sense to you, then find an item that interests you, you can see what subject headings (tagged keywords used in that specific database) are tied to the item. If you build a list of these subject headings, you can search more quickly and completely across all different resources.

Keep a simple log of what you've searched and where, as you search...

Keeping track of what keywords and subject headings you've found useful and where you've searched them (catalogs, databases, web) ensures that you won't wonder later if you're retracing your steps.

Follow the chain of good ideas...

When you find a book you like in the catalog, what other books have the same subject heading, and what other books has the author written? When you are reading a book or article that you like, what other books and articles is the author discussing or citing? Follow the trail to more useful books and articles.

Don't fear the full text-less citation...

Many of the library databases offer direct access to the full text of articles (complete text), but some offer only an abstract of the article (quick summary), and some databases have a mix of both. Just because an article is not offered in full text in a database does not mean it is unavailable to you, however, and it does not mean the search was fruitless. With a citation (journal title, article title, author, volume and issue number, etc.) in hand, you can then explore if the library has a print version of the article, or if another database has the full text. Finally, even if the library doesn't have direct access to the full text, a partner library likely will, and you can request a copy of the article through InterLibrary Loan.

Understand what you are searching...

When you search a catalog, a database, or the web, you are searching an index of certain items. Keep in mind what you are really searching when you type something into a box and click 'search'. If it's the catalog, what is in the catalog (Wheaton now uses HELIN, a catalog that includes materials from other schools available to be lent but not housed in Wallace Library)? If it is a database, what journals does the database index and are they peer-reviewed? If it is the web, what is on the web (spoiler: lots of great stuff, lots of junk)?

Learn to instinctively evaluate websites...

There are many good 'how to evaluate a website' tutorials available, including this one from UC Berkeley. But, I prefer a story... In 2000, a group of activists called the Yes Men, who oppose certain practices of corporations and governmental organizations, created a phony website for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, an inter-governmental agreement and precursor to the current World Trade Organization. The Yes Men mimicked the real WTO website with their own in layout and design, but they replaced the content with satire and parody. Unsuspecting visitors to this fake website took it to be genuine, and several unintentionally invited the Yes Men to attend actual conferences and events as representatives of the WTO. The Yes Men responded and took several of the offers, giving similarly satirical speeches to conference attendees. Material on the web is placed there by someone, for some purpose, and at some cost. Learning to instinctively examine who placed it there, for what purpose, and how it is paid for, will help you to understand what the material really is, and if it's worth your time or your trust (or your conference invitation).

Cite your sources and format your citations...

If you are using material from any source, whether a book, a journal article, a website, a video, a song, even a conversation, and you are incorporating information from that source into your work (even if you are not directly quoting the source), you must remember to cite (attribute) your source for that information. There is nothing wrong with referencing the work of others, but using material without attributing it is simply not acceptable in any field of study and can, even unintentionally, result in plagiarism. It's also important to use the correct style for your citations, both in your text and for your works cited bibliography. Different fields of study use different standard styles of citation. There is a useful library page with more information on different styles. If you're not sure what style to use, always ask your professor. I specifically recommend an excellent online guide from the publisher of the well respected Bedford Handbook, as a helpful citation style reference. There is also a useful guide from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's writing center.

Keep in mind resources from other disciplines...

Scholars from different majors and different disciplines have their own way of communicating with each other and recording their research and work. The different journals, books, websites, conferences, etc. of the discipline you are studying and their communication should be the main sources for much of your research. But, most topics are not unique to individual disciplines or majors. The majority of topics you may research are of interest to several different disciplines. Exploring the resources from other disciplines can offer you not just more information for your research, but also an interesting complement and contrast to what you have already found.

Consider authority when exploring a translation...

Shockingly, not every important work ever written was composed in the English language (in fact, most probably were not). Unless you are reading a work in the language in which it was originally written, you're reading a translation. Some person at some point took the original work and created what you are reading, which opened the original work to the possibility of (intentional or unintentional) alteration. Often, a translator simply has no choice other than to alter a work through translation since there is no directly equivalent term between the languages. Many important works have been translated multiple times, and some translations are considered more correct (or closer to the original author's work) than others. As you closely analyze a translated text, it's important to appreciate that you are considering not just a single author's work, but also the translator's work, as well.

Know when to stop...

One of the most difficult aspects of research is knowing when you have sufficiently examined a topic, and when it is time to stop. If you are facing a deadline that you must meet, knowing when to stop may seem simple, but knowing when you have a firm grasp on a topic is more difficult. There is no easy way to know when you should stop researching; there are some helpful signs, however. If you are finding the same references and citations over and over again, if you feel that you have a complete understanding of all the contours -all the sides- of a topic, if you feel comfortable explaining not just your own thesis and ideas to others, but also how your ideas fit into the ideas of other people on the topic, it may be time to call your research complete. Ultimately, it is a personal decision, and one you need to learn to feel comfortable making as the demands on your time continue to grow.