Plan Strategy for Source Search

   
 

Plan a strategy before you search for information

By this time, you should have developed a central search question(s). From this question and your other research questions, create a list of keywords, concepts, and important names.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What kinds of information do I need? Overview, scholarly, news, point of view, primary sources?
  • How much information do I need? Enough for a 2-page research paper, 5-page research paper, paragraph, or definition?
  • What are my best sources for this information?
   

Create a list of keywords

To create list of keywords:

  • Look for proper nouns in questions
  • Think of larger categories.
  • Add common synonyms for important key words.
  • Think of more specific words or phrases.
  • Add to key words as you read and research.

Click here to access a handout to guide you through listing keywords.

   
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HELPFUL HINT: As mentioned earlier, Encyclopedia Indexes do a wonderful job of cross referencing and providing useful key words.
   
 

Resources:

For more specific information on using keywords in Online searching, go to: http://www.sdst.org/rguide/page14.html

   
 

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