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Quinebaug Valley Campus Library

Quinebaug Valley CCS 1001 - College and Career Success

The Research Process

Types of information available online:

  • Information for personal use
  • Information from corporate sources (stock quotes, etc.)
  • Local, state, and federal government information
  • Current information from news sources
  • Information about hobbies, recreation, and personal interests
  • Information written for a general or popular audience
  • Social media and blog posts
  • Ads and shopping

Types of information available in a library database:

  • Information written for and by academics for academic purposes
  • Information organized and categorized enabling ease of use
  • Information that has been chosen by the QVCC faculty and library staff to meet the specific needs of QVCC students

Ready to choose between finding information online or at the library?  Here are some things to keep in mind that will help you find the best information for your current needs:

  • All research, whether you are doing research with a search engine or library database, is going to take time to do correctly.
  • A library database has collected articles specifically for academic audiences. 
  • A library database will only search for the items contained within that database, whereas a search engine will search across the web.
  • Many of the articles that could be useful in an academic setting are behind a paywall when searching a web engine such as Google Scholar.
  • The cost of the library databases and the articles within them are already part of the tuition and fees paid by students.
  • Most search engines (including Google and Bing) are created and maintained by for profit companies. Their primary goal is to make money.
  • It is possible for owners of webpages, for people, or for groups to manipulate a search engine to place their webpage/information higher onto the list of returns.  Some of these are labeled as ads, but some could look like legitimate information if the reader does not double check the information. Because of this, it may be necessary for you to scan several pages into the search results of an internet search before you get to the truly reliable, relevant information.
  • Information on the web and webpages get updated, deleted, and become outdated quickly.
  • There is no quality control or authority control on the Internet.  Anyone can create and post a webpage.
  • Search engines use relevance ranking.  This means the search engine looks at your past behavior and tries to anticipate what you need.
    • This ranking is very helpful when you are looking for a donut shop near you.
    • It is not helpful when you are looking for an academically suitable source for your paper on William Faulkner.

 

Sometimes the hardest part of your research project is the part before you even start searching.  It is choosing your research topic and then narrowing that topic down to something you can use to search the library databases.

When picking your specific research topic here are some tips to keep in mind.

  • Choose something that you are interested in.  Library searches take longer than searches done using a search engine so you will likely be spending a lot of time with your topic.  Make it something you enjoy!
  • Your topic should fall somewhere into the Goldilocks Zone of research topics.  Not to broad that it is hard to sort through your results, or to narrow that you are unable to find any sources.

After you have selected your topic, take that broad topic, and turn it into a narrower, more defined research question.  This is the question that you hope to answer with your research.

When using your search engine to perform a search, generally we are asking a question that has a specific answer.  These questions have a single answer that can be found in a single place:

  • What time does the movie start?
  • Where can I get my dogs favorite food?

Questions for library databases ask complicated questions that encourage users to find multiple sources that discuss their research question.  Research questions are broad enough that there will be information available in the library databases to answer them.  They are also narrow enough that there will not be too much information.  Some examples of research questions are:

  • How are academic libraries using virtual reality to augment the classroom experience?
  • How did Jack the Ripper change policing in Victorian England?

Once you have your search terms and you have chosen the database, it is time to start searching!  There are certain boxes, buttons, and search assistance options you will be looking for in all the database you use.

All databases will have ways that you can narrow your search without having to add new terms.  When using a database, you should always look for the Limit to Full Text or Full Text Documents check boxes.  You want to make sure that the results you are seeing are only sources that are available in full text, instead of a source that is merely a description or abstract.

Other helpful ways to limit your search are:

  • Publication Date
  • Document or Source Type
    • Some professors may ask you to only use Scholarly Articles from Academic Journals

 

Once you have found a source you think will be useful to you, there are a few things you want to make sure to find.

  • Make sure to save your source before you leave the database.  Always try to save as a PDF when possible.  This ensures you have page numbers and that you do not have to come back to the database.  To do this look for ways to:
    • Print
    • Email
    • Send
    • Save
  • Look for the Cite button.  This will provide you with your starter citation in all the major citation’s styles.  While you can copy and paste this citation into your Reference or Works Cited page, be sure to double check the citations provided.  Ensure that the formatting (hanging indents, italics, capitalization, etc) matches the citation style you are using.

Why do I Need to narrow my topic?

A research topic needs to be narrow enough--focused enough--so that you can accomplish many things in just 3-10 pages (depending on your instructor's page requirements).  You'll need to explain your thesis or research question, give your reader background information or context and explain your subject generally or from the perspective of your discipline of study (e.g. sociology, psychology, etc.). You may need to argue a position utilizing supporting evidence.  And, you'll need to reach and write a conclusion. To do all that in just a few pages, your topic must be very specific. The tools on this page can help.  Experiment and find the approach that is right for you.

Narrowing Your Topic

If you are researching a topic that you are not familiar with, you can use our reference materials to learn more about your topic.  Simply search for your broad topic in one of these databases and then begin a more narrow search when you find the area of the topic that is most exciting to you.

       

The Sea of Content

There is so much content on the internet. Just typing APPLES into Google will result in 9 trillion results! It is impossible to look through all that content to find the right information. 

When researching, try to narrow your topic. The more detailed your topic, the more likely you'll find exact information. 

Ask Yourself Questions 

If you are doing a research project on apples, that is too broad of a search term. Start by asking a question: 

Question

 Answer
What do I want to know more with Apples?  I want to know more about how Apples Become Cider!

Apple Cider is more precise than Apples, but it is still a bit too broad. Instead, ask yourself another question

Question

 Answer
What do I want to know about Apple Cider? I want to know how Apple Cider is made!

The making of apple cider is now precise, but we can narrow the topic even more by asking another question: 

Question

 Answer
What do I want to know about Making Apple Cider? I want to know how Fermentation Makes Apple Cider

The Fermentation of Apple Cider is now a very precise topic! 

If you are having trouble coming up with questions for your specific topic you can try to use the 5Ws to narrow down your search.