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CONTENTS
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Formal Research Problem
Research Objective:
Write a research paper on pollution.Sam has a course assignment to write a 10-page research paper on a topic that involves pollution. The sources for the paper must be scholarly, must mention past and current conditions, include some statistical information and be a combination of both books and articles. He will probably need a few in-depth sources, since he needs to understand a complex topic well enough to summarize the information in a medium length paper. Sam needs both current and historical information. He might need to consider whether his historical information needs to be something written at that time, or if a more recent source that takes a retrospective look at the issue will better suit his needs.
Sam may need to consult a few non-scholarly sources first, in order to gain a better understanding of the scope and complexity of his topic. The final works he chooses and will be citing in his paper need to be by professionals or scholars in the field, rather than popular press materials. Secondary sources are probably adequate for the scope of his paper. This assignment is due in 8 weeks. Where should Sam look?
To read more about the relevance of these resources, click on people, libraries or web at right. |  |
Details of Most Efficient Search
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Information Resources
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People as Resources
Good choice! Make sure that you understand the assignment before starting the research process. Don't hesitate to ask your professor for directions and guidance in getting started. Also seek the help of your librarian. The librarian can help you refine your search strategy, assist with retrieval of relevant materials and guide you through a maze of resources. |
| Libraries as Resources
This is the best starting place. This assignment involves many steps. Focusing on a more narrow aspect of pollution, e.g., will help focus research efforts. Sam does have time to borrow materials not available at his local library through interlibrary loan if he requests the materials soon. This is important, since most historical information will probably not be available electronically, and chances are his local library only has a selection of scholarly works on this topic. Sam decides that it is better to do the bulk of his research in the library. He asks his instructor and the librarian for some help in his search strategy. But he also decides to do some careful Internet searching to pick up government publications on his topic. Sam will spend considerable time using library resources, print and online. He'll use the expertise of a librarian (in person and via email) as much as possible to cut his research time down.
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Web as a Connection to Resources
Good choice for supplementary sources, especially state and federal government publications. Much government information is now available on the Web. If you have difficulty locating solid resources, contact your librarian for help.
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© 2000. Last modified March 2000.
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This Research Tutorial is a product of the collaborative efforts of Ulrike Dieterle, UW- Madison, Health Sciences Library; Betsy Richmond and Jill Markgraf, UW-Eau Claire; Anne Kasuboski, UW- Green Bay; Linda Piele, UW-Parkside; and Debbie Cardinal, Cheryl Olson, and Sheila Zillner, Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS). Original graphics designed by Sheila Zillner. (c March 2000). |
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