Search Strategy
Here is a good, basic formula for getting started with your research:
- Begin by narrowing down your topic and developing an initial research question.
- Use the keyword brainstorming worksheet to help you tweak your research question, identify keywords and related terms, and keep track of what you find.
- Search in a library catalog (Summon, OBIS, OhioLINK and/or WorldCat) to find books and reference sources. These sources will:
- provide BACKGROUND and CONTEXT
- REVIEW and SUMMARIZE earlier work
- help you FOCUS your topic and
- provide CITATIONS to important books, journal articles, conference papers, interviews, etc.
- Next, search research databases to find articles. The library has hundreds of databases; those listed on this guide are good places to begin.
- You may also wish to use Google Scholar to search the Internet. This is a great tool for doing cited reference searches.
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
A guide to help you begin your annotated bibliography.
Annotated bibliography resources
- Annotated bibliography tip sheetThis sheet helps you to understand what an annotated bibliography is, explains your job as a researcher as your compile it, and gives some helpful questions to consider along the way.
- Annotated bibliography worksheetThis worksheet is designed to help you ask and answer questions as you're reading each document that you're considering. It also gives you some practice distilling that information down into a brief summary.
Librarian
Alonso Avila
Contact:
106 Mudd Center
(Mary Church Terrell Main Library)
alonso.avila@oberlin.edu
440-775-8285
(Mary Church Terrell Main Library)
alonso.avila@oberlin.edu
440-775-8285
Subjects: Africana Studies, Comparative American Studies
Research Help
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Chat with us during online help hours
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Email us: reference@oberlin.edu
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Sign up for a research appointment
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Watch a "How do I" video tutorial