Map out a search strategy - Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources - Research

Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Map out a search strategy
Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources
Research

Before you search for sources, think about what kinds of sources will be appropriate for your project. Considering the kinds of sources you need will help you develop a search strategy — a systematic plan for locating sources. Try to cast a wide net in your search strategy to learn about what aspects of your topic are generating the most debate.

No single search strategy works for every topic. For some topics, it may be useful to search for information in newspapers, government publications, films, and websites. For others, the best sources might be scholarly journals and books, research reports, and specialized reference works. Still other topics might be enhanced by field research — interviews, surveys, or observation.

With the help of a librarian, each of the students whose research essays appear in this handbook constructed a search strategy appropriate for her research question.

Researcher:

Sophie Harba (See her full paper in 58b.)

Research question:

Why should (or why shouldn’t) the government enact laws to regulate healthy eating choices?

Search strategy

✵ Search the web to locate current news, government publications, and information from organizations that focus on government regulation of food.

✵ Check a library database for current peer reviewed research articles.

✵ Use the library catalog to search for a recently published book that was cited by a source.

Researcher:

April Bo Wang (See her full paper in 63b.)

Research question:

How can technology facilitate a shift from teacher-delivered to student-centered learning?

Search strategy

✵ Search Google Scholar and CQ Researcher to see which aspects of the question are generating debate.

✵ View a TED talk to deepen her understanding of education technology.

✵ Use specialized databases related to education and technology to search for studies and scholarly articles.

WIDENING THE RESEARCH CONVERSATION

Locating sources involves detective work. As you search for sources to answer your research question, note who is in the research conversation, and ask whose voices haven’t been represented — and need to be represented. In many research conversations, perspectives become skewed when all the experts are asking the same questions and sharing the same assumptions. As you research a topic, search for voices that might be underrepresented or excluded from research conversations and mainstream publications, especially voices whose perspectives question and challenge traditional assumptions.

If, for instance, you are researching the intersection of race and public health, ask whether the voices and perspectives of people of color are included in the research conversation — and, if not, why they are absent and where you will locate them. Or if you are researching the effects of bullying on the mental health of adolescents, seeking out the experiences of specific groups — such as LGBTQ youth — will paint a much more complex picture than researching the topic generally. Even when a topic may not seem related to specific marginalized groups, searching for viewpoints from people of varied backgrounds will result in a far more accurate and representative understanding of the conversation.

As you develop your search strategy, ask questions such as these:

✵ What sources provide a range of viewpoints, including those that counter mainstream perspectives?

✵ What assumptions do mainstream sources share? Do those assumptions seem accurate? If not, how might someone challenge them?

✵ Whose voices are missing from the research conversation — and why might that be?

✵ Where might you seek out underrepresented voices on your topic? Where have they been published?

The following databases feature underrepresented voices and are excellent starting points for finding diverse viewpoints.

✵ Alternative Press Index

✵ HAPI (Hispanic American Periodicals Index)

✵ Ethnic NewsWatch

✵ LGBT Magazine Archive

✵ Oxford African American Studies Center