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STEP THREE: WRITE A PRELIMINARY RESEARCH QUESTION AND HYPOTHESIS
Review the materials. Based on the background information you found, write a preliminary research
question/hypothesis using specific terminology (keywords) and characteristics which either challenges and/or
supports conclusions already found by others.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP FOUR: IDENTIFY WHAT ADDITIONAL TYPES OF SOURCES ARE NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT
List 6 types of relevant sources and what each type generally may add to the diversity of your research (i.e.,
scholarly articles, quality publications, law reviews, quantitative data, etc.)
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________________________
STEP FIVE: BUILD A SET OF SEARCH TERMS
A. Develop three sets of synonyms based on the keywords found/used in background searches.
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
B. Combine these new keywords to form three new search statements
1. ________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________
STEP SIX: SEARCHING IN RELEVANT INDEXES, DATABASES, AND SEARCH ENGINES
A. Using at least one new search statement, conduct a search in indexes, databases, and the Internet.
1. Search
for
books using the library’s on-line catalog, Melvyl, and Internet Public Library. Print the
results and attach them with the label Step 6: A1
2. Search at least two multi-subject databases including Academic Search and LexisNexis Academic for
articles. Print the results and attach them with the label Step 6: A2
3. Search the Internet using at least two search engines such as Google.com or FirstGov.gov, for
organizational Websites on the topic. Print the results and attach them with the label Step 6: A3
B. Modify keywords and search terms again based on search results by combining words appearing in
the new sources found with the original keyword list. List three new search terms or statements.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
C. Conduct new searches in discipline or subject specific databases and Internet sources.
1. Search for books using the library’s on-line catalog, Melvyl, or Internet Public Library. Print the
results and attach them with the label Step 6: C1.
2. Search at least one multi-subject database for articles. Print the results and attach them with the label
Step 6: C2.
3. Search the Internet using at least one search engine for organizational Websites on the topic. Print the
results and attach them with the label Step 6: C3.
Convention