Module 1: Understanding Research

Question 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

1. What do you think would be the best starting point for getting started? For gathering information?

The best starting point for getting started is you. Before you start, sit down and think about what you want to do. Remember: first plan, then act.

The best starting point for gathering information is always the library's home page (www.ohiodominican.edu/library). Start here to search for any information or to use any research tool you may need.

Go back to Understanding Research

2. What are some of the resources you can use to help you select a topic?

• Your classmates and friends
• Your professor
• A reference librarian
• Specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, & handbooks
• Current Topics books in the Reference Collection
• Subject research guides

Go back to Selecting Your Topic

3. Which topic is NOT a manageable topic?

A. Deaf studies
Any topic that is as general as this one will need to be narrowed. Look for individual aspects of that topic that interest you. The second choice, the psychological effects of deafness in teenagers, would be a more manageable topic for research.

Back to Manageable Topics

4. What are some additional possibilities for narrowing the topic of "deaf studies"?

Based on population:
- Meeting the needs of the deaf population in Ohio
Based on location:
- Social treatment of the deaf in a particular country
Based on aspect:
- Aiding the deaf through technology

Go back to Narrowing Your Topic

5. In which encyclopedias might you find some background information on deaf studies?

A, B, and C.
The Encyclopedia of Deafness & Hearing Disorders, the Encyclopedia of Psychology, and the Encyclopedia
Britannica all include entries on deafness. You will also find an entry on special education in the Britannica. All of these encyclopedias are available, the first two in the Reference Collection, the third online via the Quick Reference Web page.

Go back to Resources for Narrowing a Topic

6. What are some additional possibilities for broadening the topic "Ohio State School for the Deaf"?

Based on population:
- Educational issues faced by parents raising a deaf child in Ohio
Based on location:
- K-12 deaf schools in the Midwest
Based on aspect:
- Methods of teaching in K-12 deaf schools

Go back to Broadening Your Topic

7. What are good "question words" to help you generate open-ended questions?
How...? Why...? What...?

Go back to Formulating Good Questions

8. How could you find out about the topic "deaf studies" using different types of information?

Here are some possible questions you could ask yourself:
- Do I need to obtain more background information or an overview of the topic so I can learn about the lessons, people, places, and events important to deaf studies?
- Am I looking for facts or statistics on how many deaf students there are in the U.S.? In Ohio? In public schools? In deaf schools?
- Where can I find current information on how deaf children are taught? Is sign language the current method of teaching and learning for deaf students? Are there any current controversies about how deaf children should be taught?

Go back to Exploring Your Topic

9. Follow the first step to plan research for the topic "educational needs of deaf children": How might you state your topic?   
What are the educational needs of deaf children? 

Go back to Planning Your Research

10. What are the key concepts in the following: "What are the educational needs of deaf children"?
educational needs - deaf - children

Go back to Identifying Key Concepts

11. Generate possible search terms for the following: "What are the educational needs of deaf children?"

The key concepts are educational needs + deaf + children. So possible search terms might be:

Go back to Selecting Search Terms

12. Which type of search tools should you consult to help you search for books? For newspaper articles?

1. For Books: The Library Catalogs
2. For Articles of any Kind: The Library Databases

Go back to Choosing Search Tools