Graduate School Survival Guide

Try broader or narrow terms. Instead of arthroscopy you may need to search for the broader term “muscle testing”. Instead of headaches, you may need to search for the narrower term of “cervicogenic headaches.” It may depend on how much research has been done about this topic. It may also depend on which database you are using because each database has control of subject headings and some may or may not be searching within the full-text. MeSH headings are universal.

Use MeSH Headings. Instead of “heart attack” use “myocardial infarction.”

Many databases permit certain punctuation to be used to search for multiple word endings. In most databases use the asterisk to truncate. In the Library Catalog use the question mark. Use the HELP page in each database for details.

Example: child*(in SmartSearch) will find child, children, child’s and other words with the root word “child.”

The words AND, OR and NOT can be used to create a complex search.

AND Example: acupressure AND “musculoskeletal system*” will find all database records with both search terms (and will also truncate to find system, systems, systemic, etc.).

Walking OR running will find all database records that have either walking or running. It’s like doing two searches at the same time. This is best for exact or very similar synonyms. This can also be used in conjunction with NESTING. The “nest” should be at the end of the search.

OR Example: stretching AND (walking OR running) will find all database records with the words stretching AND walking and also database records with the words stretching AND running.

The Boolean Operator NOT is helpful when there are lots of irrelevant results which include a word or phrase that can be eliminated from the search.

NOT Example: Political and legal topics provide a good example. Let's say you are interested in interpretations of the Patriot Act, but do not want government reports or congressional hearings. Since these are usually published by the United States Government, there is an easy way to eliminate MOST government publications in the Library Catalog.

1. Go to advanced search in the Library Catalog
2. Type "patriot act" and select keyword or subject from the drop down on the right
3. Also, type NOT "united states" and select author from the drop down on the right
4. Click search

This can also be read as "patriot act" (KW) NOT "united states" (AU). This will find all instances of "patriot act" that do not have "united states" in the author field in the library catalog.

Use Boolean Operators in this order for best results: AND, OR and NOT.

Learn background information and synonyms from reference sources. This is when Wikipedia is helpful, although you should also try the database Credo General Reference and the books listed below.

Create a list of synonyms. For example, try internment as well as "concentration camps" and also specific examples i.e. Auschwitz and Dachau.

Use quotation marks around phrases, i.e. "consumer behavior" or "acid rain."

Find multiple word endings. This is the asterisk in most library databases. For example child* will find child, childish, children, child's, etc.

Use "united states" not "america" or "USA."

Reviews are NOT helpful articles, unless you want to read someone's opinion about a book or movie they read or watched. Look at "types of articles" in the left column and use the check boxes to select the types of articles you want to include in the list of results. And then you still need to watch for the word "review" as a subject heading.

Check to see if the article you want to use is in a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal by search for the publication title in the MLA Directory or Ulrich's Web.

A primary source is most often thought of in terms of historical events, as shown in this video below. See our Types of Sources library guide for more information about primary, secondary and tertiary sources.

However, what is considered to be a primary source depends primarily on your own research question. Typically, diaries, photographs and patents are identified as primary sources. Scholarly journal articles may also be considered to be primary sources, if the article is about original research or theories. Here are some example questions and what would be considered to be a primary source. (This is not an exhaustive list.)

• Who are the authors of the article I am reading so I can correctly cite this source? Primary source: the author names as published in the original journal or newspaper article.
• What do the experts think was the cause of the financial crisis in the U.S. in 2008? Primary source: a blog post by Ben Bernanke, who was chairman of the Board of Governors of the United States Federal Reserve during the time in question.
• What did Topeka look like during the time of "Bleeding Kansas," a military conflict happened between 1854 and 1861? Primary source: photographs from the time period or maps showing territory and town borders.
• Who were leaders in the civil rights movement in Kansas in the 1950's? Primary source: court documents setting precedent and identifying plaintiffs related to the topic in question.
• What was the price of Coca-Cola in the U. S. in 1910? Primary source: Coco-Cola advertisements published in magazines during the time in question.
• How should tungsten alloys be prepared for electroplating? Primary source: ASTM standard #B482.
• What were the results of research which identified an important theoretical framework of human memory? Primary source: the article "Human Memory: A Proposed System and its Control Processes" written by R. C. Atkinson and R. M Shiffrin in Psychology of Learning and Motivation (1968).

Note that most primary sources have bias! Bias is an interpretation by the author. Even photographs have bias: the photographer is deliberately showing the viewer what s/he believes is of interest. Maps have bias: maps can't show absolutely everything that exists in an area, so the cartographer must decide what information to include. Also, the cartographer must decide how to alter a three dimensional shape into two dimensions, which usually presents the world with a North American bias. Scholarly journal articles have bias: the researcher is writing about what s/he thought or did and therefore must be seeing his/her results with his/her own viewpoint.

YOU as a researcher, must decide how to interpret these primary sources in your own work. Be sure to read and interpret multiple types of sources so you can be well informed and identify your own voice in the scholarship of your field.

A research project is more than collecting data and explaining what you've read. A college-level research project or paper has five general goals (Turabian ch. 2):

1. Ask a question worth answering
2. Find an answer that you can support with good reasons
3. Find reliable evidence to support your reasons
4. Draft a report that makes a good case for your answer
5. Revise that draft until readers will think you met the first four goals

A concept map (sometimes called knowledge maps or mind maps) is a great way to organize your research topic and brainstorm keywords for searching. It's also a good way to visually lay out how the different parts of your topic fit together. 

The main idea (your topic) is at the center of the concept map, with the subpoints and keywords surrounding it. 
Use lines and arrows to show connections between the various aspects of your topic. 
Since most topics/research questions usually have multiple aspects, create a spearate "bubble" for each one, then brainstorm syonyms or alternate keywords.

The following are some online tools that will allow you create a concept map for your topic:

MindMeister
bubbl.us
Popplet
Text 2 MindMap

Research is not research until you have focused it a round a solid research question that addresses a problem or issue (Badke ch. 2).

Turning your research topic into a research question will provide you with a reason to search for information.

• What purpose do quilts have in modern Native American culture?
• How did Native Americans get started on quilting in the mid-ninteenth century?
• Why are quilts used during burial services and other ceremonies related to death in many Native American tribes?

You would want to pick one research question on which to focus your paper or research project. Sometimes it is necessary to learn more about your topic to create a good research question. Encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia are great for background information. The reference databases Credo and Gale Virtual Reference Library are also great choices.

Books of literary criticism are found in the library catalog. Search for the title of the book (using quotation marks for phrases) AND the word criticism as shown in this example:

"the color purple" AND criticism

Reference books like encyclopedias and dictionaries are a great place to find information about your topic, especially facts and statistics. Many reference books are available online, using the search engines below. Search the library catalog to find these types of books, which are great for background information:

• handbooks
• textbooks
• general encyclopedias (such as World Book and Encyclopedia Britannica)
• subject-specific encyclopedias
• dictionaries

Finding a Book in the Library's Online Catalog
This tutorial will help you navigate and find books in Wichita State University Libraries' online catalog. (Guide on the Side)

1. The first line of the citation begins on the left margin.
2. The second line and all subsequent lines are indented one TAB or 5 spaces (called a hanging indent).
3. Use double spacing throughout the bibliography page. Do not use extra lines or wider spaces in between entries.
4. All citations are presented in alphabetical order by the first word in the entry.

To correctly format a list of citations, highlight the entire list, then go to the Paragraph tool.

1. Make sure Alignment is set to "left" and Outline Level is set to "body."
2. Make sure the left and right Indentation is set to "0."
3. Under Special, change the indentation to "hanging" by 0.5" (inches).
4. Under Spacing make sure "before" and "after" are set to "0 pt."
5. Change Line Spacing to "double."

A concept map (sometimes called knowledge maps or mind maps) is a great way to organize your research topic and brainstorm keywords for searching. It's also a good way to visually lay out how the different parts of your topic fit together. 

• The main idea (your toipc) is at the center of the concept map, with the subpoints and keywords surrounding it. 
• Use lines and arrows to show connections between the various aspects of your topic. 
• Since most topics/research questions usually have multiple aspects, create a spearate "bubble" for each one, then brainstorm syonyms or alternate keywords.

Reference books like encyclopedias and dictionaries are a great place to find information about your topic, especially facts and statistics. Many reference books are available online, using the search engines below.

Books

Books usually offer a broad view of a topic. Books are great sources when the researcher needs an overview of a topic. Historical topics are usually covered better in books than in articles. For example, how women were treated in the Middle Ages is a topic best researched in a book. (An article may offer a view of the social life of women in a specific city, or delve deeply in to raising children or other narrow topic.) A book is better for this topic because it offers a broader perspective.

The researcher may not need the whole book for research. Look at the table of contents or chapter list for the most relevant chapters. Scan through the index in the back of the book for your main topic and check out the pages that are listed for that topic (as well as the rest of that sub-chapter).

Books are also useful when the researcher is still exploring ways to narrow a topic.

Scholarly Journals

This type of periodical usually has a narrow focus. For example, the American Journal of Economics and Sociology has articles that only pertain to economic sociology, which is the study of the social causes and effects of various economic phenomena.

Articles in scholarly journals are written by scholars or researchers in this field, so the authors of articles in AJES will be professors or researchers of economic sociology. Most topics in scholarly articles are highly specialized, such as "A Radical Endeavor: Joseph Chamberlain and the Emergence of Municipal Socialism in Birmingham" in AJES volume 75 issue 1. 

Most academic or scholarly journals are peer-reviewed, which means that peers of the authors (other scholars in that field) review articles and offer criticisms before they are published.

News Sources

Newspapers, news blogs/vlogs, news magazines and similar sources are usually written by professional journalists. These authors usually have degrees in English, communication or journalism, and may also have some education in the field they are writing in. For example, Barbara Walters has an English degree, and her first job was writing press releases for a NBC network affiliate in New York City. Other reporters may have degrees in agriculture or political science and put that degree to work by specializing in news related to that field.

News articles are typically not as technical as scholarly articles, and are a good choice when the researcher wants information about events as the event was currently perceived at publication. News sources are also useful for local information, opinions, or commentary about a topic. Newspapers may be found from the late 1800's to current issues.

Magazines

Most magazines appropriate for research are subject-specific. These are usually trade magazines, which means they are published for professionals in the field. Memberships to the publishing organization may be required. For example, a subscription to National Geographic Magazine requires the subscriber to belong to the National Geographic Society.

Many professional organizations include publications with the subscription price, and professionals typically receive these publications even if they belong to an organization for networking, career assistance, political/professional advocacy or other benefits.

Research is not research until you have focused it a round a solid research question that addresses a problem or issue (Badke ch. 2). Go through this Prezi to learn how to identify a good research question.

Here are a few tips to help you find a topic that is appropriate for your class assignment.

• Are you limited to certain types of sources?
• In what class is this assigned? Should the topic be related to the subject matter of the class? What topics can be chosen?
• Is this an informative or persuasive paper?
• Which style or format should be used for the bibliography page?
• Is anything besides the final paper required? (This may include an outline, rough draft, or photocopies)

How do you find an interesting topic? READ! LISTEN!

• Browse for topics in articles and books that you read for fun or that relate to your course work.
• Surf the web in your favorite general newspapers. HuffPost, NYT and Wichita Eagle are popular choices.
• Talk to your classmates or your instructor.
• Go to the WSU Writing Center at 601 Lindquist Hall or call them at 316-978-3173.
• Browse library databases that post current events and hot news topics, like Newsbank, CQ Researcher and Opposing Viewpoints.  Reference sources Credo and Gale Virtual Reference Library are also great choices.

Ask yourself the following questions about your topic to make sure you've picked a topic that will keep both yourself and your audience engaged. If you can answer yes to all the questions, you're ready to create a research question so you can search for information. Source

• Am I interested in the topic?
• Will I enjoy researching this topic?
• Will I enjoy talking about this topic and sharing my information with my audience?
• Will my audience be interested in my topic?
• Am I passionate about this topic?

The perfect topic for a college-level research paper will require you as the researcher to evaluate and reflect about the issues revolving around this topic. It will require your readers also to reflect and think deeper about his or her previous assumptions about the topic. Here is a basic topic:

• The history of quilting

This is a good start, but needs to be developed. You as a researcher should not be attempting to write an encyclopedia article, and this topic will not require any evaluation. 

Here is a better topic:

• Quilting traditions of Native American tribes

Now we can take this topic to the next level and develop it into a research question.

A concept map (sometimes called knowledge maps or mind maps) is a great way to organize your research topic and brainstorm keywords for searching. It's also a good way to visually lay out how the different parts of your topic fit together. 

The main idea (your topic) is at the center of the concept map, with the subpoints and keywords surrounding it. 
Use lines and arrows to show connections between the various aspects of your topic. 
Since most topics/research questions usually have multiple aspects, create a separate "bubble" for each one, then brainstorm synonyms or alternate keywords.

The following are some online tools that will allow you create a concept map for your topic:

MindMeister
bubbl.us
Popplet
Text 2 MindMap

We all search for information probably almost everyday. Without thinking too hard about it, we ask a question and find an answer (or find out there is no answer). Sometimes these questions even lead to more questions. This is the normal research process, and students sometimes get frustrated writing research papers because they do not understand how normal and common the whole process is.

Turning your research topic into a research question will provide you with a reason to search for information.

• What purpose do quilts have in modern Native American culture?
• How did Native Americans get started on quilting in the mid-ninteenth century?
• Why are quilts used during burial services and other ceremonies related to death in many Native American tribes?

You would want to pick one research question on which to focus your paper or research project. Sometimes it is necessary to learn more about your topic to create a good research question. Encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia are great for background information. The reference databases Credo and Gale Virtual Reference Library are also great choices.

SmartSearch is a good place to research a topic as you develop it into a research questions. One search wil locate print books, ebooks, journal articles, digital items, and more - all related to your topic. SmartSearch is a product from EBSCOhost, but the tool searches all of the Unveristy Libraries' subscription content. For a link to Smartsearch as well as information on how to use this search engine, go to http://libraries.wichita.edu/smartsearch.