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Getting Started

Basic Research Strategies and Tips

Successful research is often a combination of systematic approaches and serendipity. A systematic, logical search strategy that employs the library catalog, reference sources, and appropriate article databases and terminology will most likely yield the scholarly materials and valuable, reliable information needed for the research paper. Good research strategy can also enable serendipity, or the seemingly accidental discovery of valuable research material. In order to find scholarly sources of information, it is best to start with the research tools on this guide and/or similar reference sources. Do not begin with Google.

Topic Identification and Description: In identifying a topic, describe it as carefully as possible. Consider subtopics, perspective you wish to take, geographical and/or chronological focus. Ask: What? Who? When? Where? Once you select a culture area and a specific culture to study, seek basic information about the culture in the Overview & Background Sources. It will help to read in these standard sources what, if anything, they say about homosexuality and gender in relation to the culture group or culture area, and also about related areas such as family, kinship, marriage, gender roles, women’s rights, etc.

Search Vocabulary:Make a list of search terms (keywords) that describe your topic. Include synonyms, relevant proper names, etc. The UCLA Library Catalog, Melvyl, and other library catalogs use standard subject headings devised by the Library of Congress (LC). You increase your success in using these catalogs by knowing the LC subject headings to search. Also try searching article databases with these headings in addition to your own list of keywords.

Start with one or more of these LC subject headings. For “[place]” substitute the name of a country, continent/culture area, state, or province.

• Homosexuality [place] -- Examples: homosexuality brazil; homosexuality asia
• Gays [place]
• Gay men [place]
• Gay communities [place]
• Gay rights [country or state]
• Lesbians [place]
• Lesbian communities [place]

Examples of more specific subject headings to try, depending on your interests:

• Gay liberation movement [country]
• Gay men legal status, laws [country or state]
• Lesbians legal status, laws [country or state]
• Homosexuality law and legislation [place]
• Homosexuality religious aspects [add name of a religion]
• Homosexuality and [another subject, such as literature, religion, education]

To find information on the culture area and culture group you are studying, try the following subject headings:

• Ethnology [place]
• [name of culture group] -- Examples: Eskimos; Tamil Indic people
• Tribes [country] -- Examples: Tribes Ghana; Tribes India Northeast?
• [country] encyclopedias
• [country] social life and customs
• [country] social conditions
• [country] economic conditions

These last three headings can retrieve a large number of books, so narrow the search down by limiting by language or date, or by adding another term.

Truncation: Use truncation symbols (?, *, or # depending on the database) building on the root of a word or within a term to expand your retrieval. Specific symbol depends on the database you're using.

Examples:

wom#n = woman or women
lesbian? = lesbians, lesbianism
homo* = homsexual, homosexuals, homosexuality, homosocial, homoerotic


Call Numbers: Call numbers are determined by the primary subject heading assigned to the publication. Thus, most (but not necessarily all) books on the Gay Liberation Movement, for instance, will be classed and shelved together. Once you find a promising call number(s) for your topic, browse the shelves in this area for serendipitous discoveries of other items that might be of interest/use.

Search Documentation: Keep careful track of your research process: sources consulted, date ranges covered, search terms used, as well as promising citations. Use a notebook, laptop, index cards, and/or email messages to yourself, etc. Use the excellent advice in the Bruin Success with Less Stress tutorial.

Considerations in assessing the quality and usefulness of an item (for print and electronic resources):





Author:	Credentials? Scholar? Academic Field (e.g. Anthropology?) Other publications?
Publisher:	University Press? Other scholarly publisher? Trade Press?
Notes:	Bibliography? Index? Footnotes? Use to refine and /or expand your research
Journal:	Scholarly journal or popular magazine? What is a Scholarly Journal?
Date:	Original publication date (unless revised).
Reviewed:	If a book, can you locate (favorable) book reviews on this item?


See also Judging Quality on the Web for more tips about evaluating whether websites should be used as source material for a research paper.

 

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Compiled by Patti S. Caravello, January 2005