Early Connection Opportunity (ECO) Program, 2023: Political Science

Library Session Handout (Google Doc)

Exercise 1: Read/Listen through this article on the Cancel Culture Debate and circle any words or phrases that scholars might use in articles about this topic.

Exercise 2: Pair & Share
Turn to the person next to you or find a partner in the class and spend 3 minutes discussing both of your potential topics and search terms. Add notes from this conversation to your worksheet.

Exercise 3:  Create a search strategy for searching library databases. Circle each unique concept in your research question above. Below, brainstorm search terms for each unique concept.

Exercise 4: Use the search terms you brainstormed above to locate one source in DiscoverUR.  Note the citation of this source and call number (if provided).

Search faster with these tips:

1. Search phrases using quotation marks " "  Example:  "to be or not to be"

2. Combine words with AND, OR, & NOT in capital letters.  Example: microcircuit OR nanocircuit"

3. Substitute * for several possible letters.  Example: Child* which will find child, children, childhood, etc.

4. Combine the three tips above for complex searching.  Example: homless* AND (health OR "health care") AND (adolesc* OR teen*)

In library databases it might look like:

In Google Scholar, you don't need the asterisk or AND, so it will look like:

I encourage you to watch the following three short videos after the library session. They will help you prepare to utilize library resources to find more information related to the articles you will be discussing in your Psychology class.

Once you've had a chance to watch the videos, visit the Political Science Research Guide to use the recommended databases to discover other useful resources to help you complete your research. 

If you need research help, feel free to email or schedule an appointment to meet with me.

Tips for getting started with research in Political Science: