How Do I Start My Research?

The steps below will help you complete your paper or assignment. If you get stuck, Ask A Librarian.

  1. Choose a topic
  2. Create a search strategy
  3. Find information
  4. Evaluate information
  5. Cite your sources
  6. Ask A Librarian

 

1. Choose a topic

Based on information you get from your class assignment or research project, you'll need to choose a topic. You can get ideas from:

 

2. Create a search strategy

After a topic is chosen and you've identified, you’ll need to form a search strategy. This step can help you effectively do your library research.

  1. Formulate a search question or thesis statement based on the topic you select.
    • For example: If you are required to write a paper on nurses and the mass media,
      you may ask a a question like “How are male nurses portrayed differently from female nurses on television?”
  2. Identify the main ideas in the question or statement.
    • In our example: nurses, television, and male/female
  3. Brainstorm alternative terms or synonyms for your main ideas.
    • In our example: nurses, nursing staff, male, female, gender, men, women, sex
  4. When searching, combine and use the best terms rather than typing in your original question or phrase.
    • In our example: nurses AND television AND (gender OR men OR male)

Think about what kind of information you need so you can focus your search. Your answers to the following questions will help you decide what places to search.

  • How long is my paper and how much information will I need?
  • When is my paper due and how soon do I need this information?
  • Does my professor require that I use:
    • Specific kinds of sources (articles, books, websites, music, etc.)?
    • Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles?
    • Primary sources, empirical studies, or original research?
    • Information not from the Web?
  • Am I researching a specific time-period, group of people, or geographical location?

 

3. Find information

The University Libraries provide a wide range of resources for your research. Our subject guides will help you choose which resources to use.

Find books, encyclopedias, films, dissertations, music, and more in our Library Catalog (MERLIN). Use our How do I Search the Library Catalog (MERLIN) guide to help you search. The following pages give more help on how to find certain kinds of resources:

Find journal, magazine and newspaper articles in our Library Databases. See our How Do I Find Articles & Journals page for help.

HINT: When you find a book or article you like, check its references to find more information on that topic.

 

4. Evaluate information

After finding potential sources of information, you need to evaluate them to see if they are worthwhile for your research assignment. Consider the following:

Accuracy: Is the information correct? Can you verify the facts somewhere else? Does the source cite other sources that you can check? Is the information supported by enough evidence?

Authority: What are the credentials of the author, the publication? Are they an expert? Are they trustworthy?

Audience: For what audience is the source intended? Is it at the appropriate level? Is it an academic or popular source? Can you understand it?

Objectivity: Is the author impartial or is there evidence of bias? Does the author have a personal interest in the subject? Is the piece based on opinion or fact?

Currency: When was the source published? Is it up-to-date? Is it too old?

It's especially important to evaluate websites since anyone can publish information on the Web. Look for the following:

  • Does the web page indicate when it was last updated?
  • Do you know who wrote the page? Can you find any information out about this author?
  • Does the page come from a reliable source (i.e. a major news site, the government, etc.)?
  • Do the links on the page work or are they broken?
  • Is there an "about" page that gives information about the organization providing the information?
  • What is the domain of the URL? (.gov, .edu, .org, .com, etc.)

 

5. Cite your sources

In order to avoid plagiarism, you need to acknowledge use of another person’s work. This requires you to cite any sources you use in your assignment, paper, or project no matter what you use from that source: an original idea, a direct quote, research methods, or even innovative terminology.

Your professor will tell you which citation style to use, the most popular being American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Languages Association (MLA), and Chicago styles. Use the Library's style guides to help you format your works cited list.

HINT: The UMKC Writing Center can help you once you get to the writing part of your assignment.

 

6. Ask A Librarian

Not sure where to start or stuck searching? Ask A Librarian