Director, Education Library
The Craft of Research, Booth et al.
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Booth, W. C., Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., Williams, J. M., & FitzGerald, W. T. (2016). The craft of research (Fourth edition.). University of Chicago Press.
See chapters 3-6 for more information, explanation, and examples. |
Start with Exploratory Searching
Use these sources to find information about a topic so that you can begin to craft your research question(s).
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Academic Search CompleteSearch this general database to find concepts to shape your research question and also possible keywords.
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The Chronicle of Higher EducationThe Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence.
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Google ScholarSkim through the first few pages collecting possible keywords as you go.
Move from Topics to Questions
(From Booth, Ch. 3)
p. 49
For example:
I am studying high school student desires for school start times because I want to find out how school start times affect student engagement and achievement in order to help my reader understand that school policy regarding schedules and start times should be based on student wellbeing and achievement rather than bussing schedules or cost or convenience.
Identify Research Gaps in the Literature
Remember, you are not trying to repeat what has already been done on this topic. Rather, you are adding to the conversation around this topic by attempting to fill in a gap in the research that has already been done.
Determine Concepts & Gather Keywords
Break your research question down to its most basic concepts. For each concept, think of and look for terms that might also be used to describe that concept.
