RES-Getting+Started

Research: Getting Started
**If you focus too on the end product, you may miss some of the important research steps and find yourself writing a paper without enough of the topic to do an A+ job. Start a journal or notebook and begin jotting notes about not only "what" you plan to do but also "how" you plan to do it.(IPL)**

**Gather Background Knowledge on Your Topic**
It is hard to get started if you do not know much about your topic. Work from the general to the specific.

Think of all the questions you might ask to understand a subject comprehensively.

** Good sources for overviews:**

 * **Encyclopedias -** Encyclopedias provide excellent background information. There are general encyclopedias such as the //Encyclopedia Britannica//, as well as specialized encyclopedias such as the //Encyclopedia of the Renaissance//.
 * **Text Books**
 * **Reference Books**
 * **Class Readings**
 * **Notes**
 * **Online Databases**


 * Keep track of the sources you use by jotting them down in a notebook. Some of the information you are discovering now might prove to be useful later.**

Start a List of Key Words
As you start reading about your topic, keep a list of words or short phrases that describe your topic and closely related topics.

Use your keywords to search for information in the index of a book, a library catalog, an online databases, and the Internet. Begin your search with more general keywords and add more specific ones to narrow your results. **The better your list of keywords, the better your search results will be.**
 * Google Wonder Wheel and Google Timeline are great places to start. Watch the tutorials below to find out how to use these tools.**


 * [|Google Wonder Wheel] screen cast || [|Google Wonder Wheel] ||
 * [|Google Timeline Historic Information] Screencast || [|Google Timeline] ||
 * [|Google Timeline Historic Information] Screencast || [|Google Timeline] ||

Yippy A great search engine that groups topics in clouds. Click for more info.

Test Your Topic
After getting an overview of your topic, you may want to narrow or broaden your topic depending on the information you have found. If you are not finding information or you are overwhelmed by the amount of information found, try a different angle on your topic or start over with a different topic. If you are still having trouble, ask your teacher or librarian for advice.

Too Much Information If you are overwhelmed with information, narrow your topic by using **"and"** in your search.

Can't Find Enough Information If you are not finding enough information you need to broaden your topic or pick a new topic. Before picking a new topic trying using "or" or truncating your words.


 * Tips for Finding Information:**

= STEP TWO: Plan Your Research =
 * Tips for better Google search results.
 * Boolean Logic
 * [|How Google Works]**