WRTG 112: Academic Writing II

The first step for effective research is choosing a good topic. You want to strike a balance between a topic that is too broad, where you'll retrieve thousands of search results, and too narrow, where you won't retrieve enough relevant information. 

It can help to try some sample searches before you decide on your final topic, so you can decide if there is enough information about your topic, or if you will need to make your original topic idea more specific. 

How do I choose keywords for my searches?

• Words to include
  When you choose keywords for your search, you would want to include just the main ideas of your research question

Research question: How has the generation gap contributed to communication difficulties in the workplace?

Using just the main ideas, a search on this topic might look like this:

• Use quotation marks
  If any of your search terms are phrases longer than one word, like "generation gap," you can optimize your search by putting quotation marks around them. Using quotation marks will ensure that the database finds results that use that exact phrase.  
• Use AND
  To search for multiple concepts at the same time, you need to link your search terms with and. This strategy will narrow your search. 

Found too many results?

• Add more keywords
  If you find that you are retrieving too many results, try adding more keywords to further narrow your topic.

Found too few results?

• If you are searching for a really specific topic, you might not find much information . In this case you can try broadening your search by using fewer search terms, or by using or to add synonyms for your current search terms. If you link synonyms with or, make sure to put them inside parentheses. 

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