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WRTG 105 Friendship (Kingsley)

Social Science Librarian

Profile Photo
Justina Elmore
she/they
Contact:
Learning Initiatives
Rush Rhees Library, Rm. 106
755 Library Rd, Rochester, NY 14627
League of Librarians
(585) 276-7845
Website Skype Contact: jusssty

Attribution

 This Library Guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Justina Elmore, University of Rochester. Any part of it may be used as long as credit is included.  Derivative works can be licensed under Creative Commons to encourage sharing and reuse of educational materials.

Land Acknowledgement

I wish to honor and express my gratitude to the Indigenous peoples who cared for the lands where the majority of this guide was developed.  I acknowledge that the lands that UR inhabit are the unceded ancestral territory of the Seneca Nation, known as the Onöndowa'ga or “Great Hill People” and “Keepers of the Western Door” of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy whose loss of lives, culture, knowledge, stories, and experiences are a part of Rochester, New York State, and U.S. history. May we all work collectively to combat the continued erasure of indigenous lands, life, and knowledge. For more information on how you can support preservation efforts visit ganondagan.org and senecamuseum.org. 

Library Session Handouts

Research isn't linear

Narrow a topic idea
You may not know right away what your research question is. Gather information on the broader topic to explore new possibilities and to help narrow your topic. Brainstorm some search terms and try likely databases to see what scholars are saying about the topic.
Ask yourself: 

  • What subtopics relate to the broader topic? 
  • What questions do these sources raise? 
  • What do you find interesting about the topic? 

Consider your audience. Who would be interested in the issue? 

From Topic to Research Question
After choosing a topic and gathering background information, add focus with a research question.
Write down a few exploratory questions

  • Ask open-ended “how” and “why” questions about your general topic.
  • Consider the “so what” of your topic. Why does this topic matter to you? Why should it matter to others?
  • Reflect on the questions you have considered. Identify one or two questions you find engaging and which
  • could be explored further through research.

Determine and evaluate your research question

  • What aspect of the more general topic you will explore? (If you're stuck, pull from current event(s), a course lecture or course readings, etc.)
  • Is your research question clear? 
  • Is your research question focused? (Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered within the length/scope of a standard college-level research project).
         ​Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global warming?
         Focused: How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica?
  • Is your research question complex? (Questions shouldn’t have a simple or yes/no answer and should require research and analysis.)

Hypothesize
After you’ve come up with a question, consider the path your answer might take.

  • If you are making an argument, what will you say?
  • Why does your argument matter?
  • How might others challenge your argument?
  • What kind of sources will you need to support your argument?

Adapted from George Mason University Writing Center’s How to write a research question and Indian University Bloomington’s Develop A Research Question.

 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Justina Elmore, University of Rochester. 

Reading strategies for vetting sources for close reading