Research Basics:Managing Your Mountain

Patrick Fulton & Sara NodineWarren D. Allen Music Library

Choose Your Mountain

• Fulfill requirements– Length– Topic

• Start with a question– What are you interested in?– Is there something you don’t understand?

• Appropriate challenge– Scope (narrow vs. broad)– Know your personal limits

Gather Your Gear

• Physical resources– What sources do you own?– What does the library own?

• Electronic resources– What do you have open access to?– What subscriptions services can you access?

• Human resources– Who do you know?– What might they be able to help with?

Start the Journey

• The Initial Climb– Where do you start?

• Base Camp 1:– Major music resources

• First Aid Station: Information Overload– Step back and evaluate

• Base Camp 2:– Advanced music and non-music resources

• U-turn!: – Where am I going?

• Base Camp 3:– Are we writing yet?

The Initial Climb

Where do you start?

Base Camp 1

Major music resources

First Aid Station

Information

Filter

Reconsider scope

Evaluate thesis

Step away Organize keywords

Categorize resources

and

BREATHE!!

Base Camp 2

Advanced music resources

Base Camp 2: Outside the Box

Advanced non-music resources

U-Turn!

Where am I going??

• Talk it out!• Map it out!• Embrace change

– Thesis– Scope

• More research required?

Base Camp 3

At some point you just have to start writing!

• Let your ideas percolate• Consider writing out of sequence• Dedicated time each day• Use your resources if you get stuck

• Librarians• Professors• Colleagues

• Writer’s block• Environment• Step away

Cresting the Summit

• Editing• Formatting• Reading• Editing some more• Submitting

Questions?

Created by:Patrick Fulton & Sara NodineWarren D. Allen Music Library

Licensed by: Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International