Conducting & Evaluating Research

Preliminary Research Question

• Avoid research questions that are:– Too broad• What are the hazards of fad diets?• What are the hazards of low-carb diets?

– Too bland• How does DNA testing work?• How reliable is DNA testing?

– Too speculative• Is it wrong to share music files on the Internet?• How has Internet file sharing affected musicians?

GATHERING & EVALUATING SOURCES

Databases

• Found on/through library computer systems• Both general and subject specific• Searching a database– Vary key words– Use quotation marks, AND, OR, NOT– Limit search to:• Peer-reviewed articles• Full-text articles

Evaluating Database Sources

• Is your source:– Primary or Secondary?– Relevant?– Current?– Scholarly?• Formal language & presentation• Author is credentialed• Has footnotes/bibliography

– Appropriate in length?

Books

• Search library catalog by subject, author, or keywords

• Evaluating a book:– Same criteria as databases– Availability

Search Engines

• Google, Yahoo, Dogpile, etc.• Use advanced search form & refine

Evaluating Websites

• Authorship• Sponsorship• Purpose & audience• Currency

Hacker Handbook, pg. 404

Other Sources

• Archives (Hacker Handbook, 434)• Directories (Hacker Handbook, 433)• Reference Books (Hacker Handbook, 436)• Field Research

General Questions

• Check for bias• Evaluate argument

Hacker Handbook, pg. 403

MANAGING SOURCES

Managing Sources

• Keep a working Bibliography• Make/keep a copy of all sources• Annotate Sources• Include brief sentences that summarize key

points• Web 2.0: Diigo, Zotero, Noodle Tools

Working Bibliography: Books

• Authors/editors/translators• Title and subtitle• Edition (if not the first)• Publication information: city, publisher, state

Working Bibliography: Periodical

• All authors• Title and subtitle • Title of the magazine, journal, or newspaper• Date; volume, issue, and page numbers

Working Bibliography: Database

• All authors• Title and subtitle • Title of the magazine, journal, or newspaper• Date; volume, issue, and page numbers• Name of database and a item number• Name of subscription service• URL of subscription service• Date you retrieved source

Working Bibliography: Web

• Authors, editors, or creators• Editor or compiler, if there is one• Title and subtitle• Title of site• Publication information, if available• Page or paragraph numbers, if any• Date of online publication or recent update• Sponsor of site• Date accessed • URL