Search Strategies
1. Brainstorm keywords, related terms and synonyms. Examples...
2. Use AND to focus your search on a smaller result set. Examples...
3. Use OR to link synonyms and gain a larger result set. Examples...
4. Put quotations around your terms for exact searches
Example: "video games"
"social media"
The keywords you come up with represent the concepts and themes you're exploring. You can incorporate keywords into a question, and as you explore your topic in more depth you can turn that question into a hypothesis. For example:
1. Keywords: teens, violence, prevention
2. Question: How can violence between teenagers be prevented?
3. Hypothesis: Violence between teenagers can be prevented using anger management programs in schools.
ASK QUESTIONS TO DEFINE YOUR TOPIC | Or A 'concept map' may be helpful: |
---|---|
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? So What? What is the definition? What other words could be used to research this topic? What are some causes ? What are some results or consequences ? What larger social or political issues are related to this topic? |
[source https://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/adjguide/academic_papers/identifying.html] |