ARCHIVED ANTH 3530: Culture, Illness & Health: Home

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(651) 523-2373

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bushref@hamline.edu 

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schedule a research appointment
with a librarian

Hunting and gathering resources on your topic doesn't need to be an endless task. Ask yourself two questions before you begin seeking information. These will help you focus your efforts on using sources that will deliver the best results for your information need.

How extensive is my information need?

Who writes about or delivers the information I need? 

Graphic courtesy of Brenda Smith, Distance and Document Delivery Librarian, Thompson Rivers University LIbrary, Kamloops BC.

Surveying the literature before you've formulated a specific research question provides you the opportunity to focus on understanding your discipline's perspective. You discover and learn while you seek. You still need to follow your professor's assignment/course guidelines.

As you search for resources to read you may ask yourself these questions. These may help you limit your search.

• Does my topic take place in/relate to a specific time period?
• Does my topic take place in/relate to a specific geographic location?
• Will my topic speak to, or speak about, a specific population of people?
• What other words (synonyms) could be used to re-state my topic differently?
• Are there multiple points of view on my topic?
• Are there organizations or people who are considered experts on my topic?
• What are the professor's requirements for the assignment?

Your responses to these questions will help you determine the types of resources that will provide the best data/information for you. Knowing those resource types, leads us to using the right tools to locate that information.