Researching a Topic Worksheet
Step 1. Write down your broad topic idea.
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Step 2. List some of the aspects of your topic you might want to investigate. Below are two different approaches that you might try.
Approach #1: List one or more subtopics you wish to explore.
Subtopic: ______________________________________________________
Subtopic: ______________________________________________________
Subtopic: ______________________________________________________
Approach #2: List possible questions about your topic you might wish your research to focus on: Who? What? Where? Why? When? How?
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Step 3. Draft a possible thesis or problem statement.
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Step 4. Considering your thesis or problem statement, list as many terms as you can think of which might be useful in a subject or keyword search for materials. Consider synonyms and word variations.
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Step 5. Search Centra (CMU's online catalog) to locate the citation of a book that relates to your topic.
Subject you searched: ______________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________________________
Title: ____________________________________________________________
Publisher: ________________________________________________________
Date of publication: _______________
Call number: ______________________________________________________
What other subject headings are suggested?
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Step 6. Search a journal article database (such as ABI/Inform, ERIC, or Health Reference Center- Academic) and locate a citation for an article on your topic.
Index you searched: ________________________________________________
Subject you searched: ______________________________________________
Article title: _______________________________________________________
Author(s) if given: _________________________________________________
Title of periodical: __________________________________________________
Volume number ______
Issue number (if any) ______
Page number(s) _________
Date: ___________________________________
Other useful subject headings or descriptors that were listed:
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