Step 1: Choosing and Narrowing a Topic
1. State your topic as a question.
What effect does genetically engineered food have on the health of consumers?
2. Identify the main concepts.
genetically engineered foods AND health AND consumers
3. Select alternative keywords for main concepts.
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| genetically altered foods | GMO (genetically modified organisms) biotechnology and food genetically engineered |
| health and safety | food safety hazard(ous) well being |
| consumers | public people |
4. Test your topic. Search for your keywords in the Library Catalog or in background sources like encyclopedias.
Step 3: Find Books
Books provide broader, more extensive information on a given topic. The Library Catalog allows you to search for books at Otterbein and OhioLINK. The materials located in the library where you are working appear inbold text on the screen. You will notice many ways to search, such as Title, Author, Subject, Subject Keyword, etc.
The Courtright Memorial Library uses the Library of Congress classification system. This system classifies the materials in the collection by subject. For a more detailed look at the system, browse the Library of Congress Classification Outline.
Thanks to the City College of San Francisco Steps of the Research Process guide for contributing to this content.
Background and introductory information places a research topic into a greater context. Lecture notes, textbooks, and reference books such as encyclopedias and almanacs make up important background information.
1. Look up keywords in the index of an encyclopedia, find the entry, and don't forget to take note of the bibliography at the end of the article for further readings.
2. Browse the Library's reference collection in the corresponding call number area. Read articles in the sources you find to set the context of your research. Pay close attention to the vocabulary the authors use.
3. Search for bibliographies on your topic in the Library Catalog by conducting a subject search on your topic followed by Bibliography. Example: Human Rights -- Bibiolgraphy
Step 4: Find Articles
Current and specific information is found in articles in periodicals (magazines, journals, or newspapers). In addition, articles are often used to update and support the information in books.
The most effective way to find articles on a given topic is to use an index. In the past, researchers would have to use print indexes to find articles on a topic, write down the citation, then go to the shelves to find the article in the print issue of the periodical. This method is still used for retrospective or historical research. However, today we have article databases that index articles by subject and often provide the full text of the article.