It used to be that students who needed to conduct research for papers and thesis work simply went to the library and perused the reference section, taking books off of the voluminous shelves and digging through them, change in hand, copied the pages that were worthwhile. In contemporary society, however, the printed page has become more of a symbol of another era and the electronic source has taken its place as the “go-to” method for researching topics.
One of the most difficult tasks in deciding how and what to use in regards to electronic sources is simply finding the time to dig through all of the information and find something of use. The best practice in this situation is to be armed with a tentative thesis statement before you begin your research. That way you know what you are looking for and can use the keywords and phrased from the thesis to narrow down possible articles and web sites. According to John Tagg in his 2004 Discovering Ideas Handbook, “A thesis statement is a single declarative sentence that states what you want your readers to know, believe, or understand after having read your essay.” That being said, beginning the research process with a strong one is a great way to start.
Another way to improve your chances of finding the best information for your purposes is to make sure that you are getting information from credible sources. Many internet sites are not authored or even dated as a publication. Therefore, can one really trust the information on such a page? A good rule of thumb is to check for three items before even considering a web page as a source: Does it have an author? Does it have a publication date? Is the web page academic in nature (meaning does it end .edu or .org or is it simply a .com)? If you can meet these three criteria, the site may be a reliable source for your needs.
Lastly, students who are researching a topic using electronic resources should try to use as many of the available search engines and databases as possible. Many high schools, colleges and even public libraries have subscription services to a variety of web-based databases that have electronic copies of articles previously published in textual sources and even some wonderful online articles and e-books to assist with the task at hand. And as far as search engines go, Gregg Knollenberge states in his 1998 article Effective Use of Search Engines, “When searching there are some simple rules to keep in mind. Generally the more keywords you use in your search the more specific and accurate your results will be.”
Ultimately, the key to success is to be diligent in your research and also be prepared to spend some time weeding through the materials to find exactly what you need. Once you find the information you need, the search becomes easier because you can look at that sources works cited, authors cited and other suggestions in that area of research. Therefore, a strong start will almost always guarantee you a strong finish.
Tara Gardner - I have a strong background in both the academic and publishing fields. Prior to teaching, which I have been doing for eleven years, I was ...
