"That's a great question..." Navigating research interests across academic disciplines (even when you're unsure how to start)
happy fall!
Advertising via TPs [and where else?]
Example questions? ("What sorts of questions can you ask us?")
libguides.brynmar.edu/rias -- or search "RIAs" in Tripod
What about Web of Science?
How / Use Tripod to find
"early childhood education" AND (handbook OR companion)
"exact phrase"
( remember PEMDAS? )
use OR to
search for
synonyms
(generally broader in scope than lit reviews)
Handbooks & Companions // Exploring research interests
Try it: Looking for the same topic in Tripod, find a relevant scholarly handbook or companion.
Example:
"early childhood education" AND (handbook OR companion)
• Relevance: may be the whole book, or just one chapter
• Too few results:
- Try broader search terms
• Too many results:
- Change search from keyword --> title
- Filter your search results by date
Handbooks & Companions
Exploring research interests (IF WE HAVE TIME!)
Try it: Write your topic on an index card and pass to another RIA
Use handbooks, companions, and review articles to identify relevant disciplines and possible approaches
Review Articles
Other tools for exploring research interests and academic disciplines:
What kind of information is available on Research Guides?
What terms can/should we use to search?
What about the A-Z Database List?