EGL 102 - Evan Cantor - Spring 2022

Welcome to the your library research class!

I'm Marisa Walstrum, your librarian, and I am excited to help you get started with your research. Today in our session we will:

• Select keywords to search library resources for evidence on your topics,
• locate relevant background research on your topics, 
• find articles and e-books to support your research topics, and
• properly cite your sources using MLA citation style.

To get help with your research project after this library session, or any time, make an appointment with an Oakton librarian. Let's get started!

• Ask a question you're interested in finding the answer to
• Choose something that has controversy or more than one viewpoint
• Pick a topic that you feel you could research or write about in detail:
  • not too broad
    • You'll know a topic is too broad when you are overwhelmed with information in your research 
    • Examples : "social media" 
  • not too narrow
    • You'll know a topic is too narrow when you don't find enough information in your research
    • Example: "Does the use of Social Media amongst students ages 14-16 at Ourtown High School increase bullying?"
  • just right! 
    • You will feel information is manageable
    • Example: " Does social media use increase bullying in schools?"
• You will use your research question to formulate keywords 
  • Select the main ideas from your research question, example: "social media" AND "high school students" AND "bullying"
  • Keyword terms should be specific, not general. Words like "aspects" or "effects" won't yield relevant results
  • Think of synonyms or related terms to broaden your search. Example: "high school students" OR "adolescents"