BVH LIBRARY

The Research Process: Preliminary Steps

Step 1: Narrowing Your Research Topic

“A good research topic is broad enough to allow you to find plenty of material, but narrow enough to fit within the size and time constraints of your paper. As you begin to research your topic, if you discover that your topic is either too broad or too narrow, consider adding or eliminating the following elements to solve the problem” (libs.uga.edu).

Think of your topic, then consider the following:

Time Period century, decade, future, etc.

Population Type age, gender, nationality, species, etc.

Geographical Location country, state, region, etc.

Point of View economic, social, cultural, biological

Example

My Topic: Global WarmingThis is a very broad topic. Narrow it by

looking at the following specifics:

Time Period 21st Century

Population Type birds

Geographical Location South America

Point of View Biological

Now we have a narrowed topic.

I will form a research question and look for information on the biological impact of Global Warming on bird populations in South America during the 21st Century.

Now that we have reviewed this together, narrow down your own topic.

Check your Topic: What is at stake?

Now that you have narrowed down your topic, you must ensure that there are stakeholders for your research. That is, who will benefit from this information? If the answer is, “no one,” you will need to find a new topic!

My stakeholders: Biologists, South Americans, world leaders, environmentalists, etc.

Who are your stake holders?

Step 2: Creating a Research Question

Creating a Question from your Topic

“A good research topic asks a clear, concise question instead of simply stating a broad issue. Asking a research question helps you keep a tight focus on your topic as you wade through the available research. You'll be able to more easily identify the material that answers your question and reject material that discusses your topic too generally” (Retrieved from libs.uga.edu).

The Research Question

Creating a research question will help focus and guide your research. Use the following stems to create a question/questions that your research will answer.

Who? What? When? How? To what extent? Why?

Creating a Question Using your Topic

Topic: The biological impact of Global Warming on bird populations in South America during the 21st Century

Sample Research Questions:

What is the ecological impact of Global Warming on birds in South America?

How are species of birds being affected by Global Warming in South America?

The Research Question

Once you have formed your research question, you may choose to create sub-questions to help further guide your research.

Just remember, your sources should only answer those questions; if a source does not help to answer your question, it may not fit into the research.

Fill in three sub questions that you will need to answer to respond to your main research question.

Step 3: Determining Search Terms and Sources

Determining Search Terms

Before you begin your search, brainstorm some possible terms that are related to your topic.

If one term doesn’t work, try a combination. Use AND to combine terms and NOT to eliminate them. “global warming” AND “south america” Birds AND “global warming” “climate change” AND “south america”

When you have more that one term in a search, use quotations to combine them.

Sample Boolean Search:

BVHS Library Database Page

Your Search Terms

Think of at least 6 terms that will pertain to your research topic.

You can change these as you learn more about your topic.

Determining Your Sources

Resources are not “one-size-fits-all.”

Think about what type of resources you will need to use to locate information before you begin researching.

Having a wide variety of sources will also help your research be well-rounded and thorough.

Work through the “Brainstorming Sources” portion of your handout to determine which resources are right for you.