brutlagsoc101

CONQUER THE WORLD THROUGH RESEARCH

SOC 101 – Brian Brutlag

Stephanie Wells, Librarian

Today you will learn how to…1.Find books and journal articles.

2.Develop strategies for narrowing your topic.

3.Use advanced search strategies in ProQuest Research Library to find scholarly journal articles on your topic.

Research SourcesENCYCLOPEDIASProvide short entries/articles for an overview of the topic and its main ideas .

BOOKSGive more information for an in-depth exploration of one or more aspects of the topic.(Example: Case study books, textbooks)

SEARCH TOOL:LIBRARY CATALOG

SEARCH TOOL:LIBRARY CATALOG

SEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASE

SEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASE

JOURNAL ARTICLESLengthy scholarly research studies on an extremely focused aspect of a subject.

Research SourcesNEWSPAPER ARTICLESVery brief news reports that focus on current events or topics currently in the news.

SEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASE

SEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASE

MAGAZINE ARTICLESAs short as encyclopedia articles, but instead of an overview, magazines narrow the focus to one or two specific aspects of a topic.

Two Search Tools to Find Good SourcesPROQUEST

RESEARCH LIBRARY(Journal Articles)

LIBRARY CATALOG(Books)

Start research from the library webpage

FIND BOOKS

FIND JOURNAL, MAGAZINE,

AND NEWSPAPER

ARTICLES

From off-campus, use AccessRIO

First, Create A Good Search Strategy

Narrow your topic to one manageable issue

The words are key: create a good keyword search strategy

Good Beginning QuestionPornography

“What effects does pornography have on male and female identity?”

Research requirements: 1. Find some articles on this topic and refine the

question.

Characteristics: 2. Debatable.3. Plausible.4. Consequential.

Excellent Narrowed TopicClass Inequality

“How does social class affect the quality of education in high schools (in

California)?”

Characteristics:

1. Debatable: does class play a role at all?2. Plausible: schools in lower-income areas have

fewer graduates and fewer students pursuing college

3. Consequential: whether one has access to a good education affects the health of both the individual, his/her family, community, and also the health of the global community.

Narrow Your Topic

Most topics are too ambitious.

Select ONE compelling aspect of your topic, and focus on that aspect only.

What factors are associated with the rise of divorce?

Cohabitation and the well-being of children involved.

How to narrow your topic: two steps

1. Read an article in a subject encyclopedia.

e.g., Encyclopedia of Race and Racism

2. Ask a question about your issue. Your answer will form your thesis statement, and the evidence will form your paper or speech:

Topic: Race in the entertainment industry

Narrowed Research Question: How does the entertainment industry contribute to racial and ethnic stereotypes in society?

Come up with keywords

1. What is my issue?Example: Race in the entertainment industry

2. What do I want to know? How does the entertainment industry contribute to racial and ethnic stereotypes in society?

3. What are the main words in the question?

entertainment industry racial ethnic stereotypes

Construct a keyword search

4. What are other forms of my keywords?

(racial OR ethnic)

“entertainmentindustry”

stereotyp*

SIMILAR & RELATED TERMSFind ALL related resources

TRUNCATIONSearches for all words with the same stem

(stereotype, stereotyping)

PHRASE SEARCHINGUse “quotation marks” around

common phrases

A Good Keyword Search Saves Time5. Put your keywords together and use them to

search both periodical databases and internet search engines:

Scholarly Journal Articles

What is a scholarly journal?

How can you tell if you have found a scholarly journal article?

1. If you haven’t sufficiently narrowed your topic, use Gale Virtual Reference or an encyclopedia to find an article on your topic. Read it and write a narrowed research question.

2. Test various keyword search combinations in ProQuest Research Library.

Activity: Narrow Your Topic and Search ProQuest

QUESTIONS? 562-908-3484

Stephanie Wells swells@riohondo.edu

Thank you for visitingThe Rio Hondo College Library!

RESEARCH GUIDE FOR SOC 101libguides.riohondo.edu/brutlagsoc101