Database Research Organizer
-
Academic Research MatrixMake a copy; save your work.
Research Process Overview
| 1. Define what information you need or want to find. Use a research question to guide your research. |
Career topic = engineering What do engineers do? Do people with engineering degrees like their jobs? |
| 2. Break down your question into its essential concepts to identify keywords. | Do people with engineering degrees like their jobs? |
| 3. Brainstorm synonyms for each of your keywords. You may have more success with one word than with another. |
|
|
4. Decide which databases will have the information you seek. |
 |
|
5. Search by combining terms. This part is experimental. You will need to adjust - use different terms, combine terms in new ways, etc. until you find what you need. |
 |
|
6. Searching is a process of trial and error. Look at the list of articles. Find one or two that look like what you need. Check to see what subject terms or keywords are listed with the articles you like. Add those to your keyword list. Use them to adjust your search. |
|
| 7. Skim the titles in your results list. Analyze what you have found. Decide which articles are most likely to meet your needs. Read those. |  |
| 8. You might want to keep track of what you found (articles), where you found them (databases) and what search terms you used (engineering AND work AND satisfaction). That way if you want them later, you can find them more easily. |  |
If you get stuck at any point in this process, contact a librarian - we're always happy to help!
What are Scholarly Articles?
Introduction to Scholarly Articles helps you learn about what defines a scholarly article, whether or not "scholarly" means "peer reviewed", etc.
Length: Approximately 6-8 minutes
