Skip to Main Content
Baker University logo

Baker Core Research

For BC 110 and BC 120

1. Start Here

Choosing and Narrowing a Research Topic

This section will take you through how to narrow down a topic into a research question

 

Topic Ideas: What does the assignment allow for? what are you interested in? Why?

Got an idea or two? Great! Now you should narrow your topic down!

 

Try answering the questions below to find some specific aspects of your topic to focus on. You may need to do some online searching for background information on your topic to help you. 

  1. Who Are Populations, Groups, or Stakeholders involved?

  2. What Is the Problem or Issue? What academic disciplines and theories connect to your topic?

  3. Where does the topic take place? Locations can be social, such as College. Or geographical, such as a country or region.

  4. When does this topic or issue place? Does it span multiple decades? Take place during a social movement or major world event?

 

Write a Research Question: Tips

Research questions help you to focus your topic and are helpful when you are searching for sources to support your research and when you're ready to write a thesis statement. Below are a few tips to get you started.

  • Research questions are answerable, specific, and clear. They should not be Yes, or, No questions and they should not be Subjective (Opinion based).
  • Don’t be afraid to write a few questions or combine them.
  • Try bringing WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE aspects of your topic together into a “HOW” question.
  • Example Research Question: “How does library instruction in the first year of college change the information seeking behavior of college students?”
    • Keywords based on this question:
      • library AND instruction
      • information literacy instruction
      • first year student; freshmen
      • information AND processing AND behavior
      • higher education OR college AND librarian AND instruction 

 

Keywords: Vital for searching a database!

Keywords are important to finding useable research on your topic. It's important to take some time to consider what words relate to your topic that will help you find resources in a database. Consider what the major words within your research question are, do those words have synonyms? Do other cultures use a different word that describes the same thing? What terms would an expert use? See some examples below:

  • Theory of relativity (special relativity, general relativity)

  • Movie (Film, Cinema)

  • Heart (Cardio-vascular system)

2. How to research

Data‘basics’

This section will take you through four steps to get you started searching databases

 

Step One: How to access and search a Library Database!

  1. Go to the Library Website: lib.bakeru.edu
  2. Accessing the Databases: look at the databases tab (see image 1 below)
  3. Not sure where to start looking? Here are some Good Bets When Getting Started: The suggestions can be found on the alphabetical database list found on the blue tab (see image 1 below):
    1. Academic Search Premier 
    2. Issues & Controversies
    3. Encyclopedia Britannica
    4. JSTOR
    5. Science Direct 
    6. ProQuest US Newsstream

Image 1: the image below shows the blue databases tab located on the main Baker University library webpage:

Image of the main library webpage showing the databases tab

 

 

Step Two: Use keywords to search the database. A keyword is a word or phrase significant enough to bring back relevant search results.

  1. Use a concept map to brainstorm ideas and keywords 
  2. The keywords can also be jargon, and synonyms of keywords.
  3. Use Boolean phrases (AND, OR, NOT) to connect your keywords.
    1. AND to narrow (results with both keywords)
    2. OR to expand (results with both OR either keywords)
    3. NOT to limit results particular results (remove 2nd keyword results)
  4. When you have some keywords entered hit the "search" button (see image 2)

 

Image 2: The image below shows EBSCOs advanced search bar where you will enter keywords: Screenshot of the Academic Search Premier advanced search page search boxes

 

 

Step Three: Use database tools to help you expand, narrow, and sort through the results.

  1. Look for filters, most databases have these and they will help you sort through your results (see image 3)
  2. Result refining tools to search for are: Full Text, Peer Reviewed, date, subject tag, source type, etc. 
  3. Get in contact with one of the Baker librarians if you are unsure how to use a database. We would be happy to show you!

 

Image 3: The image below shows the EBSCO search results page: screenshot of the results screen for academic search premier with the all filters button outlined in black

 

Step Four: Open an article's detailed record

  1. Look at article titles to find results that look relevant. TIP: Check out the subject tags along the bottom of an article result too!
  2. Click on an article's title to open its detailed record. The detailed record will show you (see image 4):
    1. PDF (if available) look for a download button for PDFs
    2. Article information including the all important abstract
    3. Citation information (see quotation mark at the top of the detailed record page)
    4. Database name should be noted just below the title.
    5. DO NOT copy and paste the URL at the top of your web browser. Use the share tool (arrow button, two right from the citation tool) to email a copy or create a perma-link.

 

Image 4: The image below shows EBSCOs Detailed record header with the mouse hovering over the citation tool:Screenshot of the academic search premier detailed record page for a single article with the citation tool showing