The document provides guidance on conducting effective research by focusing the research question, gathering and evaluating different types of sources such as databases, books, search engines, and websites, and managing those sources through keeping an annotated bibliography and copies of sources. Key tips include avoiding research questions that are too broad, bland, or speculative; evaluating sources based on criteria like relevance and currency; and maintaining a working bibliography with complete source information.

1. Conducting & Evaluating
Research

2. Preliminary Research Question
• Avoid research questions that are:
– Too broad
• What are the hazards of fad diets?
• What are the hazards of low-carb diets?
– Too bland
• How does DNA testing work?
• How reliable is DNA testing?
– Too speculative
• Is it wrong to share music files on the Internet?
• How has Internet file sharing affected musicians?

3. GATHERING & EVALUATING SOURCES

4. Databases
• Found on/through library computer systems
• Both general and subject specific
• Searching a database
– Vary key words
– Use quotation marks, AND, OR, NOT
– Limit search to:
• Peer-reviewed articles
• Full-text articles

5. Evaluating Database Sources
• Is your source:
– Primary or Secondary?
– Relevant?
– Current?
– Scholarly?
• Formal language & presentation
• Author is credentialed
• Has footnotes/bibliography
– Appropriate in length?

6. Books
• Search library catalog by subject, author, or
keywords
• Evaluating a book:
– Same criteria as databases
– Availability

7. Search Engines
• Google, Yahoo, Dogpile, etc.
• Use advanced search form & refine

8. Evaluating Websites
• Authorship
• Sponsorship
• Purpose & audience
• Currency
Hacker Handbook, pg. 404

9. Other Sources
• Archives (Hacker Handbook, 434)
• Directories (Hacker Handbook, 433)
• Reference Books (Hacker Handbook, 436)
• Field Research

10. General Questions
• Check for bias
• Evaluate argument
Hacker Handbook, pg. 403

11. MANAGING SOURCES

12. Managing Sources
• Keep a working Bibliography
• Make/keep a copy of all sources
• Annotate Sources
• Include brief sentences that summarize key
points
• Web 2.0: Diigo, Zotero, Noodle Tools

13. Working Bibliography: Books
• Authors/editors/translators
• Title and subtitle
• Edition (if not the first)
• Publication information: city, publisher, state

14. Working Bibliography: Periodical
• All authors
• Title and subtitle
• Title of the magazine, journal, or newspaper
• Date; volume, issue, and page numbers

15. Working Bibliography: Database
• All authors
• Title and subtitle
• Title of the magazine, journal, or newspaper
• Date; volume, issue, and page numbers
• Name of database and a item number
• Name of subscription service
• URL of subscription service
• Date you retrieved source

16. Working Bibliography: Web
• Authors, editors, or creators
• Editor or compiler, if there is one
• Title and subtitle
• Title of site
• Publication information, if available
• Page or paragraph numbers, if any
• Date of online publication or recent update
• Sponsor of site
• Date accessed
• URL