Basic Research Strategy

Basic Research Strategy

Basic Research Strategy

I.  GETTING IDEAS
II. SELECTING A TOPIC
III. LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT

A. Developing an Overview - Background Reading
  1. Encyclopedias
  2. Contemporary Sources
B. Developing Focus - Researching In-Depth
  1. Locating Books
  2. Looking For Periodical Articles
  3. Bibliographies
  4. Bibliographic Aids\Style Books
  5. Other Sources

I. GETTING IDEAS

Ideas for research topics may come from:
  • class discussion or assigned readings;
  • suggestions from your instructor;
  • television news or documentaries;
  • newspaper and magazine articles;
  • personal experiences;
  • library tools, like indexes and abstracting services which provide short
  • summaries of articles.

II. SELECTING A TOPIC

Select a topic that:
  • interests you or bothers you, like a popular assumption you'd like to challenge;
  • can be handled completely in the time allotted for the paper;
  • is amply covered in available published sources;
  • is not highly specialized or technical, like many areas of the sciences and mathematics.

III. LEARNING MORE ABOUT IT

Once you've selected a topic you need to develop an overview of its scope and issues through background reading. You can then choose which aspect(s) you want to research in more depth. As you consult your background sources be alert for bibliographies or references to books or articles that treat your topic, or some aspect of it, in greater depth.

A. Developing an Overview - Background Reading

1. Encyclopedias

A general or specialized encyclopedia can provide an overview of a subject, historical and factual information. To locate information on your topic use the index of the encyclopedia because:
  • the subject may not be discussed under the word or phrase you select;
  • additional information on your research topic may appear in several related entries;
  • the index listings related to your topic may help your narrow or expand it.
General encyclopedias, which are shelved in the reference stacks on the 2nd floor of the library, include:
  • Encyclopedia Americana (Ref. AE 5 .E333 1990)
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica (Ref. AE 5 .E363 1993)
Specialized encyclopedias are dedicated to a single subject or discipline and usually provide more in-depth information. Examples of specialized encyclopedias are:
  • Encyclopedia of Banking & Finance (Ref HG 151.E63 1993)
  • Encyclopedia of Sociology (Ref. HM 17 .E5 1992)
  • Encyclopedia of World Art (Ref. N 31 .E533)
  • McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (Ref. Q 121.M3 1987)
  • Encyclopedia of Religion (Ref. BL 31 .E46 1987)
  • New Groves Dictionary of Music & Musician (Ref. ML 100 .N48)
If you need information on current topics or issues use the contemporary sources, listed below.

2. Contemporary Sources

To gain an overview of a contemporary topics you might find it helpful to consult the following sources:
  • CQ Researcher - This weekly series consists of articles onsubjects of current interest in areas such as economics, employment, medicine, politics, etc. A subject index is included in each annual volume. Current issues are kept at the periodicals desk. Bound volumes are shelved in the periodicals section alphabetically.
  • Social Issues Resource Series contains hundreds of important reprinted magazine and newspaper articles on social issues, including such topics as aging, ethics, human rights, and work. Volumes are indexed by subject and are cross-referenced to other titles in the series. To locate specific titles in this series search DPAC under: t=social issues resources series


  • Volumes in the Opposing Viewpoints Series discuss the pros and cons of many contemporary problems and issues, such as censorship, criminal justice, aids, and chemical dependency. To see a list of titles in this series search DPAC under: t=opposing viewpoints

Type a line number and press ENTER to see the titles within a particular index range.

B. Developing Focus - Researching In-Depth

Once you've developed an overview of your topic the next step is to develop focus, that is decide how much of it can be adequately addressed by your paper or project. Remember, you will still have the option to narrow or broaden your topic during the research process as your interest becomes more focused or diffused, or you find an extensive or restricted body of literature.

Once you've made a preliminary determination as to the scope of your research you will need to locate materials that cover it in depth. These can include books, articles or information in databases. The bibliographies or references included in your overview sources are excellent places to start identifying additional resources. Depending on the number of references and the currency of the overview source you might want to expand your search for materials. Additional materials can be found through consulting, CUNY+, printed or on-line indexes, abstracts, and bibliographies.

Where to Find Materials

1. Locating Books

In order to find books on your research topic you can consult the on-line catalog of City University (DPAC) on CUNY+. DPAC contains information on all the materials in the libraries of the City University of New York. (A list of these libraries and their code is available at the reference desk.) Materials in the Newman Library at Baruch College are coded BB. DPAC listings provide:
  • bibliographic information (i.e. author, title, publisher, etc.);
  • call number;
  • location (i.e. floor, collection area);
  • circulation status (i.e. whether or not the book is currently borrowed from the library).
You can search DPAC by author, title, subject and keyword.
Do not include punctuation, accent marks, capitalization, or initial articles (a, an, the).

a) To Search by author:
  1. Type a= followed by the author's name (last name first, for individual authors);
  2. Press SEND or ENTER.
Examples:
  • a=walker alice
  • a=garcia lorca federico
  • a=american management association
Note that organizations can be authors as well as individuals.

b) To Search by title:
  1. Type t= followed by all or part of the title
  2. Press SEND or ENTER
Examples:
  • t=canterbury tales
  • t=things fall apart
  • t=joy luck club
c) To Search by Subject:
  1. Type s= followed by the subject heading
  2. Press SEND or ENTER
Examples:
  • s= yeltsin boris
  • s=child development
Subjects include people, places, things and events and are assigned by the Library of Congress.

In some instances if you enter an incorrect subject heading DPAC will indicate the proper one. For example, if you enter the search:

s=retarded persons

DPAC responds:

Search under: mentally handicapped

Many subjects have sub-headings. Always use two hyphens between a subject and its sub-heading.

Examples:
  • s=india--politics and government
  • s=persian gulf war 1991--environmental aspects
To determine the correct subject heading for your topic you can consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings kept at the reference desk on the 2nd floor.

Sample Library of Congress Subject Heading Listing

If your subject search was unsuccessful, try doing a keyword search. Keyword searching is useful when you:

want to combine more than one idea in a search;

do not have an exact title;

cannot find an appropriate subject heading;

d) To Search by Keyword:

type k= followed by specific words or phrases relating to your topic;

use And, Or, and Not to combine terms.

Examples:

  • k=depression and economics
  • k=depression or recession
  • k=depression not mental
Additional instructions for keyword searching are available at the reference desk.

If the Baruch library does not have the book you need:
  1. check DPAC for the holdings of the libraries in the CUNY system; or
  2. ask a librarian assistance in locating the book in area libraries.

2. Looking For Periodical Articles

To find up-to-date information, trends, and current developments in your area of interest, look for articles in magazines, scholarly journals, and newspapers. To locate such articles its best to consult indexes and/or abstracts. A periodical index will indicate in which issue or volumes of a magazine, journal or newspaper you can find articles on a given topic or by a particular author. Abstracts provide summaries of the articles index. Both printed and electronic indexes and abstract are available. Two general purpose indexes/abstracts are available via CUNY+:

Both of these indexes are searchable in the same manner as DPAC, by author, title, subject and keyword.

Some electronic indexes and abstracts are available via the Newman Library network. To view the selection, choose CD-ROM from the main menu from one of the computers behind the reference desk or near the elevators on floors 3-5. (Note: The CD-ROM option can not be accessed from those computers in front of the reference desk that are only set up to support CUNY+).

If you are looking for articles on a topic not covered in the electronic indexes or abstracts, or for articles prior to the starting date of the electronic abstract, you will probably need to consult a print abstract. To select the index or abstract best suited for your topic consult a librarian or the Selected List of Indexes and Abstracting Services which is available at the reference desk.

Sample Print Index Entry

If the periodical title is abbreviated in the entry, check the front of the index for the full title.

Sample CD-ROM Periodical Index Entry

PsycLIT

 

To see if Baruch College Library has a particular magazine, journal or newspaper search:

a) in DPAC (i.e., t=newsweek);

b) in DPER or DNEW by typing HOL after you have located an article. Make sure you note whether the publication is kept in paper (shelved alphabetically by title in periodicals), or in microform, (kept in the microform cabinets) and what years are held by the library.

The most recent issues of periodicals are kept at the periodicals desk or are available in the periodicals stacks or on the display shelving. Locations are indicated in DPAC.

If a periodical does not appear in either of places named above, ask at the Reference Desk to find a library that does carry it.

Remember, you can use any of the libraries in the CUNY system.

3. Bibliographies

You may wish to consult a bibliography when gathering sources of information on your topic. A bibliography is a compiled list of references to previous research. When using a bibliography be sure to check the date of publication as it may be out-of-date and exclude the most recent publications on your topic. Annotated bibliographies, those with descriptions of specific books or articles on a given subject, are the most helpful. Bibliographies are found by doing a subject search in DPAC, follow the example below:
  • s=women in business--bibliography
  • s=jazz music--bibliography

4. Bibliographic Aids\Style Books

There are a number of manuals and handbooks that can guide you in formatting your research paper, and usually include specifications for page set-up, graphic elements, footnotes and bibliographies. These manuals have examples of all the different citations you are likely to need. It's a good idea to check with your instructor to find out which format he or she prefers.

1. Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for writers of research papers. New York: MLA, 1988. (Ref. LB 2369 .G53 1988 and at Reference Desk).

2. Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1987. (Ref. LB 2369 .T8 1987 and at Reference Desk).

For additional titles, do a subject search in CUNY+ as shown below:
  • s=report writing--handbooks

5. Other Sources

A number of CD-ROMs are available via the Baruch library network. Some are electronic versions of abstracts and indexes, and come contain business data. To find out what's available check CD-ROMs by Title on the Newman Library Menu on the computer stations behind the reference desk and near the elevators on floors 3-5, or request a copy of the CD-ROM listings booklet at the reference desk. The library also has the annual reports and 10-K's of major companies on microfiche, and a selection of annual reports in print form.

If you are not sure where to begin a search or locate materials, please ask for help at the reference desk, and a librarian will be glad to assist you.
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