11/20/13 Research Process: An Overview - University Library Research Guides at Golden Gate University

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Research Process: An Overview
Guide Information
Last
Updated:
Sep 11, 2013
Guide URL: http://ggu.libguides.com/research
Description: This guide outlines the steps in the research process from
developing a topic to crediting sources.
Tags: apa citation, research, research process, writing
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Featured Librarian
Name: Aira Lipson
Email Address: alipson@ggu.edu
Contact Info: 415-442-7245
Guide Index
Choosing a Topic
Refining Your Topic
Finding Information
Evaluating Your Sources
Crediting Your Sources: APA Citation
Choosing a Topic
Contents
Getting Started
Brainstorm Questions
Finding Topic Ideas Online
Read Background Information
Goldilocks Approach Video
5W's Approach Video
TIP: Keywords
The Goldilocks Approach
Goldilocks is a character in an English fairy tale who wanders into an empty house in the woods. She finds food that's too hot, too cold, and just right; chairs that are too hard,
too soft, and just right... you get the picture. You want to find a topic that is not too broad, not too narrow, but just right.
The 5 W's Approach
Narrow your topic by brainstorming Who, What, When, Where, and Why. For example, who is involved in a company's operations: managers, suppliers, labor, customers, and so
on. Can you get even more specific within these categories?
TIP: Keywords
Keywords are the main terms that describe your research question or topic. Keep track of these words so you can use them when searching for books and articles.
1. Identify the main concepts in your research question. Typically there should only be two or three main concepts.
2. Look for keywords that best describe these concepts.
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3. You can look for keywords when reading background information or encyclopedia articles on your topic
4. Use a thesaurus, your textbook and subject headings in databases to find different keywords.
Getting Started
Choosing your topic is the first step in the research process. Be aware that selecting a good topic may not be easy. It must be narrow
and focused enough to be interesting, yet broad enough to find adequate information.
#1 Research tip: Pick a topic that interests you. You are going to live with this topic for weeks while you research, read, and write your
assignment. Choose something that will hold your interest and that you might even be excited about. Your attitude towards your topic
will come across in your writing or presentation!
Brainstorming is a technique you can use to help you generate ideas. Below are brainstorming exercises and resources to help you
come up with research topic ideas.
Brainstorm Questions
Ask yourself the following questions to help you generate topic ideas:
Do you have a strong opinion on a current social or political controversy?
Did you read or see a news story recently that has interested you?
Do you have a personal issue, problem or interest that you would like to know more about?
Is there an aspect of one of your classes that you would like to learn more about?
Finding Topic Ideas Online
Try the resources below to help you get ideas for possible research topics:
* Opposing Viewpoints - this series presents all sides of current issues such as illegal immigration, health care and the death penalty. This is a good source for finding
and getting background information as well as getting ideas for a topic.
* Congressional Digest- similar to Opposing Viewpoints, this series takes a pro & con approach. A great resource to learn about both sides of a topic it can be found in our
stacks- Ref JK 1. C65
* CQ Researcher - this database provides news and analysis of American government, politics, history, public policy, current affairs, and controversial topics. Each report
contains a synopsis and discussion of the issue, a pro/con section and bibliography. This is another great resource for topic ideas and background information.
* Idea Generator - this website lets you browse through thousands of keywords and phrases, organized by subject areas, to help you come up with topic ideas.
* Google News - this site provides national and international news on a variety of subjects gathered from over 4,000 sources.
* Use the Library's Articles and News databases to browse contents of current magazines and newspapers. If you do not know how to browse current issues ask a
librarian for help.
Read Background Information
Read an encyclopedia article on the top two or three topics you are considering. Reading a broad summary enables you to get an overview of the topic and see how your
idea relates to broader, narrower, and related issues. If you cant find an article on your topic, ask a librarian for help.
* Encyclopedia Britannica Online - a general knowledge encyclopedia covering a wide-range of subjects.
* The Gale Virtual Reference Library contains several business focused encyclopedias such as The Encyclopedia of Management and The Encyclopedia of
Emerging Industries which may provide background information on possible topics.
* Use the Library's Articles and News databases to search for brief articles on your topic ideas.
* The Library's reference collection contains many general and specialized encyclopedias. Check the Library's catalog to see what items are available for you to
use in the Library.
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Refining Your Topic
Contents
Steps to Refining your Topic
Assignment Guidelines
Assigning Limits to Your Topic
The Research Question
Advanced Search Approach Video
1-minute Approach Video
TIP: Be Flexible
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The Advanced Search Approach
Searches with one term answer what is? type questions. Searches with at least two terms answer more complex questions that you can take a position on. Imagine an
advanced search screen in a database -- what term will you put in each box?
The 1-minute Approach
You have a good working knowledge of your topic when you can talk for an entire minute without stopping. Where do you get all that information to fill up a minute? Use
background information that you find in company and industry profiles, Datamonitor reports, encyclopedia articles, and on the web.
TIP: Be Flexible
It is common to modify your topic during the research process. You can never be sure of what you may find. You may find too much and need to narrow your focus, or too little
and need to broaden your focus. This is a normal part of the research process. When researching, you may not wish to change your topic, but you may decide that some other
aspect of the topic is more interesting or manageable.
Steps to Refining Your Topic
Once you have chosen a general topic idea the next step is to refine your topic and ulitmately to formulate a research question.
Consider the points below to keep your research focused and on track. If you continue to have difficulties defining a topic talk to
your instructor or a librarian.
Assignment Guidelines
Before selecting your topic, make sure you know what your final project should look like. Each instructor will probably have different assignment requirements so be sure to read
your assignment thoroughly and check for specific guidelines concerning:
The number of sources you are required to use
The kinds of sources are you able to use - books vs. web sites vs. journal articles or a variety?
The type of research you are you being asked to conduct. - original research or review what research has been done?
The length of your final project - two-pages, ten pages, etc. or an informal, five minute presentation?
The depth of your project - Is your project an overview of the subject or in-depth and focused coverage of a specific aspect?
The scope you are required to cover - Is this an historical summary or a report of current developments?
You instructor will probably provide specific requirements for your assignment, if not the table below may provide a rough guide:
Assigned Length of Research Paper or Proj ect Suggested Guidelines for Number & Types of Sources
1-2 page paper
2-3 magazine articles or Web sites
3-5 page paper
4-8 items, including book, articles (scholarly and/or popular) and Web sites
Annotated bibliography
6-15 items including books, scholarly articles, Web sites and other items
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10-15 page research paper 12-20 items, including books, scholarly articles, web sites and other items
Assigning Limits to Your Topic
A topic will be very difficult to research if it is too broad or narrow. One way to narrow a broad topic is to assign limits to what you will cover. Some common ways to limit a topic
are listed below using the broad topic, "the environment" as an example.
Limiter Example
geographical area
What environmental issues are most important in the Southwestern United States
culture
How does the environment fit into the Navajo world view?
time frame
What are the most prominent environmental issues of the last 10 years?
discipline
How does environmental awareness effect business practices today?
population group
What are the effects of air pollution on senior citizens?
Remember that a topic may be too difficult to research if it is too:
locally confined - Topics this specific may only be covered in these (local) newspapers, if at all.
Example: What sources of pollution affect the Genesee County water supply?
recent - If a topic is quite recent, books or journal articles may not be available, but newspaper or magazine articles may. Also, Web sites related to the topic may or may not
be available.
broadly interdisciplinary - You could be overwhelmed with superficial information.
Example: How can the environment contribute to the culture, politics and society of the Western states?
The Research Question
Once you have the topic you would like to research, the next step is forming your research question. Your research question should be focused and specifc. The result should
also be a question for which there are two or more possible answers. See some examples below:
Broad Topic > Narrowed Topic > Focused Topic > Research Question
Women's health Women & cancer Women smokers & breast cancer
Is there a connection between cigarette smoking and breast cancer
risk?
Computer
games
Computer game
violence
Computer game violence &
children
How does violence in computer games affect children?
Eating disorders Teens & eating
disorders
Teen peer pressure & bulimia What role, if any, does peer pressure play in the development of bulimia in teens?

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Finding Information
Information Sources
There are many different types of information sources that can be useful for your research. The chart below lists some common information sources with
examples of each to help you evaluate and select the best sources for your project.
SOURCE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES
Newspapers Typically content revolves around current events. The focus is geared
toward the general public with articles written by journalists or
freelance reporters
The Wall
Street
Journal, The
New York
Times,
Financial
Times
General
Interest
Magazines
Magazines usually cover current events and general interest subjects.
Articles from magazines can help you generate ideas about issues,
controversies, or unanswered questions about a topic, which you
might want to explore further. They sometimes refer to studies or
Time,
Newsweek,
Psychology
Today, The
Economist,
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scholarly work that you can track down for more information. Scientific
American
Trade
Publications
Trade publications are written by and for professionals within an
industry. These are an excellent source of very specific information
from inside the field.
Advertising
Age,
Marketing
Week,
Nation's
Restaurant
News,
Investment
Weekly
Scholarly
Journals
Scholarly journal articles go through a process of peer review before
they are published. They are written by experts in the field and their
purpose is to advance the ongoing body of work within the discipline.
These articles might present original research data and findings, or
take a position on a key question within the field. They can be difficult
to read, because their intended audience is other experts and
academics, but they are at the top of the line when it comes to
authoritative information.
Harvard
Business
Review,
Journal of
Applied
Psychology,
Academy of
Management
Review
Books &
eBooks
Books cover virtually any topic, fact or fiction. For research purposes,
you will probably be looking for books that synthesize all the
information on one topic to support a particular argument or thesis.
Books usually provide in-depth and/or historical analysis of a subject.
Print books in
the library,
eBooks from
library
databases
Subscription
Databases
Subscription databases provide a variety of information on many
subjects. Some of the information you can obtain from databases
includes: news and journal articles, datasets, analyst reports,
dissertations and company financial data.
OneSource,
Business
Source
Complete,
Proquest,
Morningstar
Websites,
Internet
The focus, content and authors of websites vary widely according to
each individual site. Always evaluate website information carefully.
Government,
company,
consumer,
university,
non-profit
organization,
etc.,
websites,
Wikipedia
Miscellaneous
Documents
Documents is a broad category and can be found in a variety of places
including the library, internet and databases that cover white papers,
working papers, newsletters, etc. Documents may contain industry
information, statistics, as well as potential insider information.
White
papers,
working
papers,
newsletters,
dissertations,
analyst
reports,
conference
proceedings,
etc...
Choosing the Right Database
The University Library subscribes to many databases that will be useful for your research. The type of research you are doing and the questions you need
answered will help you determine which database to use. If you already know the name of the database you want to use go to the library's alphabetical database
list. You can also browse the library's database list by subject to see what areas are covered by each database. Below are some recommendations to help get
you started.
What are
you
looking
for?
Database Information Provided
Industry
information
IBIS World, OneSource,
GMID - Global Market
Information Database
Detailed reports on industry forecasts, market share, competitors, supply chain,
etc.
Company
Information
(overviews)
Business Source
Complete, OneSource,
Lexis Nexis, PrivCo*
Annual reports, executive information, analyst reports, SWOT analyses,
competitors, business description, company history, financial filings, etc. *Use
PrivCo for information on privately held companies.
Company
Information
(financials)
Mergent, OneSource,
Standard & Poor's Net
Advantage
Annual reports, ratio data, stock reports, SEC filings
Country
Information
EIU - Economist
Intelligence Unit, Lexis-
Nexis, Mergent, Business
Economic, financial, political and financial risk analysis for many countries. Also
consumer, market and demographic information.
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Source Complete, GMID
(Global Market Information
Database)
Articles
Business Source
Complete, Proquest, SAGE
Journals, Emerald
Management Journals
For peer-reviewed, research focused journals covering a variety of disciplines
including business, humanities, science and medicine use SAGE or Emerald
databases. For articles from major newspapers, magazines, trade publications,
scholarly journals covering a wide range of disciplines start with Business Source
Complete or Proquest (multi-database search).
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Evaluating Your Sources
Contents
Evaluating Sources: The Basics
Scholarly versus Popular
Website Evaluation
Further Reading...
Scholarly versus Popular
Periodicals are print sources that are published weekly, monthly or quarterly, such as magazines, newspapers and journals. Instructors may
require a variety of sources or limit sources to scholarly journals.
Scholarly Journals contain articles written by professionals in the field. The articles may be original research or an extension of previous
research, illustrated with graphs, tables and have a list of references at the end. Articles submitted to a scholarly journal are peer-reviewed or
juried, meaning other experts read and suggest revisions to the author before the final version is accepted for publication.
Popular magazines are not in-depth enough to be scholarly. The magazine may have an area of interest. Parenting is devoted to raising
children and Time is a news magazine, but the articles are intended as overviews for general readers. Authors may or may not be named, there
may be illustrations or charts, but there won't be a bibliography at the end.
Further Reading...
Critical Evaluation of Resources from UC-Berkeley. Evaluating books, magazines and websites.
Critically Analyzing Information Sources from Cornell University. Guide for evaluating quality of source and appropriateness of content.
Evaluating Sources Research Guide from Lakeland Community College Library. Handout on evaluating websites and periodicals, identifying bias and links to other
resources.
Evaluating Sources: The Basics
A critical step in the research process is evaluating the information you found. It is important to select information that comes from a reputable source. Below are questions to
ask yourself when evaluating books, magazines and websites.
Publisher who published or sponsored this work? Are they reputable?
Credentials who is the author (or authors)? Are qualifications or degrees listed?
Accuracy can the information be verified in other respected sources?
Currency is the informations publishing date current enough for the topic of the research paper? For subject area that change frequently, like medicine, politics or finance,
use the most up-to-date information.
Bias does the author or publisher express an opinion (example: newspaper editorial) or is the information factual (like statistics). Does bias affect the informations
accuracy?
Audience who is the information written for a specific readership, level of expertise or age/grade level? Is the audience focus appropriate for a research paper?
Website Evaluation
Because the web is self-pulished, it requires the most critical analysis before use in a research paper.
Beyond the basic criteria mentioned for all resources look for additional proof of value in websites. Some hoax sites look very credible until viewed with a critical eye. Look for:
11/20/13 Research Process: An Overview - University Library Research Guides at Golden Gate University
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Mission/Vision/Purpose Statement reveals purpose of the website and point of view.
Credentials a well-regarded sponsoring organization or an expert author. (Webpage content may not list an individual author.)
Date of last revision this reveals how recently the content of a website has been reviewed.
Contact information is there a physical address and telephone number the researcher can use to contact a real person with questions?
Loaded language words that assign emotional value can be used to manipulate attitude. Patriot sounds better than vigilante, insurgency less scary than civil war.
Links do other reputable websites link to the website and does it link to other reputable sites.
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Crediting Your Sources: APA Citation
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