Now you have thought about
- how research information gets created and disseminated
- how to isolate concepts in order to strategize keyword terms
- how to apply keywords to searches in library databases
- ...and you understand the overview of the research process you will be engaging in
It's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work!
There are 3 parts to this activity:
1. Reflect on the organization you've been assigned to. State and develop your topic
- Define the main social problem or inequity that the group addresses and how they go about it.
- If they address many social problems, then include the main one that you're assigned to.
- What language or keyword terms would you use to describe the type of people who volunteer with the group? How about for the type of people who will be served by the group?
- What kinds of phenomenon will you observe while volunteering with this group? How would you use keyword terms to describe that?
➡️ List at least three searchable keywords, and note synonyms in parentheses
2. Identify databases and other sources
- In the Background Information section of this guide, there are many specific encyclopedias and other sources you can play around with. Then, in the Finding Books & Articles section, there are specific databases listed, as well as OSCAR, the Library's catalog. You can find more databases organized by subject on the Library's website.
➡️ List subject areas that might be associated with your topic
➡️ List at least two databases you might use for your topic.
3. Search and refine
- We got keywords, and we got databases. Time to search and refine.
➡️ Start searching in one of the databases you identified
➡️ List additional keywords you identified as you were searching
➡️ Copy and paste the citation for one promising article you found during this process
➡️ List any additional sources you want to try next. Is there anything on the Statistics / Data section that is alluring? How about on the Ethnographic Research Methods section?
This activity will take 30-60 minutes. You may upload your assignment to Camino per Dr. Wright's instructions. Be ready to discuss your answers with your Arrupe organization groups on ________.