Information Literacy

Research Step 2

•  The topic will need to be narrowed for the assignment. 
•  Keep in mind, a very specific subject or idea may also be too limiting – for example, if the topic focuses closely on one individual such as Beck or a specific baseball team, there may not be as much information as there might be on rock musicians or baseball teams in general.
•  Make your point.  A thesis statement is the focal point for the research, and summarizes the point that the speaker or writer wishes to make. A strong thesis statement is one that supports one main idea, has a clear standpoint, and invites discussion.

Beginning the Research

So, now you are ready for the research step of this process. Using the CTR Library's databases helps to ensure that you have reliable, credible sources for your paper. Using legitimate, verifiable information is important to developing students as critical thinkers; it shows that you are concerned with presenting correct information and are knowledgeable about your subject.

According to Information Literacy: Lifelong Learning and Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century, a person is more likely to believe that information is credible if it is consistent with the beliefs they had before beginning research. But what if your belief was misinformed, or wrong? The idea that information is credible because it confirms your assumptions or preconceived notions is not unusual, but it is not at all reliable. Researching a topic helps the student to read unbiased information and be presented with new perspectives on the subject.

In Step 1 we talked about looking for a broad topic (homelessness) and narrowing it down to a specific, focused topic (homeless veterans, homelessness and children) and doing some pre-searching.  Pre-searching also helps to know when we've picked a subject that there may not be enough information on for a paper, or when we need to rephrase our search terms. 

Keep in mind when you are searching that there can be many ways to say the same thing, and that words often have more than one meaning. For example, I can use the word "spirits" to describe a gathering of ghosts, or to describe a liquor beverage. If you do not find information at first, try a different search term and see if that helps.

As you conduct your search, be sure to save any articles you find useful. You can store them on a flash drive, Google Drive, your personal desktop, or email them to yourself. Losing track of a perfect article can be frustrating, so saving it ensures you can easily reference, quote, and cite it later.

How Do I Know if Website is Legit?

4 ways to differentiate a good source from a bad source
Evaluating Sources

Our Resources

The Calvin T. Ryan Library at the University of Nebraska at Kearney offers a comprehensive suite of online resources to support student research:

• Research Guides: Tailored to various subjects and courses, these guides assist in locating relevant resources.
• A-Z Databases: An extensive list of databases, providing access to over 62,000 titles.
• Citation Guides: Resources to help with proper citation across different styles.
• Interlibrary Loan: For obtaining materials not owned by the library, such as books, articles, and DVDs.
• Ask a Librarian: Assistance via email, text, chat, or appointment for research-related queries.
• For a comprehensive overview of available resources, visit our website.
• Or go directly to our online catalog to search for materials such as journals, books, collections and newspapers.
• If you need help finding resources for your research, you can make an appointment with a librarian.