Garfield Campus | Student Success Center (ABSE)

Getting started working on a research project may feel overwhelming at first. This is a normal reaction for most students! This page was created to break down the research process into manageable, bite-sized steps. 

8 Steps to Effective Research

1. Understand the research assignment.

2. Select your topic.

3. Find background information in reference sources (Hint: Start your research with Credo Reference).

4. Narrow your focus with related subtopics.

5. Develop a research question (Hint: This will help you write your thesis statement).

6. Identify keywords.

7. Conduct research using the library's databases.

8. Evaluate your sources.

* (Based on "7 Steps to Effective Research," James E. Shepard Memorial Library, North Carolina Central University, 2023)

Do you have a clear understanding of your research assignment? Begin by reviewing the steps your teacher has provided. If you're confused about anything, ask questions! Your instructor is there for you when you need additional help, support, or direction.  

Sometimes you have the freedom to select a research topic. Other times, your teacher gives you a list of topics to choose from. Either way, you may have to do some background research to find a topic that interests you. Using one of the library's reference databases, such as Credo Reference, can help you find basic information about a topic.

The next section explains how to find background information.

Background sources can help you explore a topic. These types of sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and handbooks, and can be general or specialized. They include:

• Dictionaries
• Encyclopedias
• Textbooks
• Handbooks
• Biographical Sources
• Bibliographies
• Almanacs

This short video from Loras Library reviews how background research can help you start exploring your topic.

("What is Background Research" (0:58), Loras Library)

Whether your teacher assigned a topic or you've chosen your own, it's likely that you will need to narrow your focus. These videos offer suggestions on how to go from a broad topic to one that's more specific.

("Four Steps to Narrow Your Research Topic" (3:15) from the  University of Guelph McLaughlin Library)

After you have done your background research and narrowed your topic, you are ready to write your research question. The question should not have a yes or no answer. This question will help you develop your thesis statement. It's helpful to use who, what, where, why, or how to develop the question. 

Here is a sample research topic and question. 

Topic: Artificial Intelligence

Research Question: How will Artificial Intelligence be used in the future of work?

Once you write your research question, you can now identify the keywords that you will use to search for sources. 

Keywords, Defined

Keywords are search terms that help you find sources related to the main concepts of your topic. They can be broad, such as "Artificial Intelligence," or you can narrow your search by adding more specific words such as "future."

They can also be concepts that are similar to your main concept. For example, instead of using "artificial intelligence" as a keyword, you can use the phrase "machine learning."

Here is an example of a research question with the keywords highlighted:

How will artificial intelligence be used in the future of work?

Tip #1: Use quotation marks around two or more related keywords to search for a phrase.

Example: Instead of searching for New AND York AND City, search for "New York City."

Tip #2: Keep track of all keywords you use along with any related keywords: 

Example: "artificial intelligence," "machine learning," "neural network."

The Credo Reference Mind Map can help you identify keywords related to your topic and synonymous terms. Start with the broad topic to find similar or related keywords. Click on the image to get started

If you are off-campus, you will be asked to log into Credo Reference using your Canvas login and password.

After you have logged in, you can enter keywords into the Mind Map to find related concepts.

Once you are ready to begin your research, write down your keywords and keep track of those that help you find sources that answer your research question.