Research Tips Guide
Scholarly vs. Popular Materials
When conducting research it is important to distinguish between
journal articles and magazine articles. Journal articles are typically referred
to as "scholarly," while magazine articles are usually considered "popular".
Scholarly materials are: Objective, in-depth, primary accounts of original
research usually written in a structured, formal format that includes analysis and assessment.
References are required, quotes and facts are verifiable, and authors are typically scholars/researchers
with subject expertise whose credentials are provided as part of the journal article.
Popular materials are: Secondary discussions of topics usually written in an informal,
less structured format. These materials may include personal narrative or opinion, and may not intend
to present supporting evidence or a conclusion. Authors are frequently professional writers who may or may
not have subject expertise.
For more information, see Scholarly vs. Popular Materials (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/spmaterials/).
Evaluating Web Resources -- and Information in General
Careful evaluation of web-based resources is an important aspect
of good research. There are 5 primary criteria to consider when evaluating any
kind of information, including web sites:
- Accuracy -- Consistency, Corroboration, Criteria
- Authority -- Documentation, Origin, Authorship
- Objectivity -- Slant, Bias, Purpose
- Currency -- Date, Timeliness, Validity
- Coverage -- Scope, Comprehensiveness, Audience
When evaluating information, remember: CARS
(Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonability, Support).
For more information, see Evaluating Web Resources (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/webeval/).
Defining, Refining, and Focusing Your Topic
When doing research it is important to have a clear focus for your topic, so you know what information to
look for and you can better judge what resources will be most appropriate and useful. Try the following tips:
- Define your topic in terms of who/what/when/where.
- Think about ways to further narrow your topic or express it in more specific terms.
- Identify keywords to use in a search on your topic. Focus on concepts and use only the substantial
words [nouns and verbs] of your topic as keywords. Avoid prepositions such as "of, "after," "with," etc.
- Come up with some alternative or related terms for your topic keywords. Think in terms of synonyms and specifics.
- Combine your keywords using the Boolean operators AND/OR to construct a search query. AND retrieves less
results and limits your search; OR retrieves more hits and broadens your search.
- If you get a large result set from your search, consider further narrowing the scope of your topic.
- If you get a small result set, try removing overly specific keywords, making use of synonyms, or using broader terms.
For more information, see Research Process Worksheet (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/guides/researchtips/topic.html).
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