Step 1: Develop a Topic

1. Browse journals (Science News, Science, Nature) or Internet sites like Science Daily for ideas
2. Use encyclopedias and dictionaries for background information and to identify keywords, people, events and dates. Many also include short bibliographies.

   Do a Keyword search in the UW Libraries Catalog to find special subject encyclopedias and dictionaries

3. Formulate Your Topic
   • Identify the main concepts (keywords) in your question. Consider alternative terms/synonyms
   • Example: How does the honey bees' dance lead others to good foraging locations they found?
   • Concepts: 1. honey bees   2. dance   3. foraging
   • Possible alternate terms/synonyms:
     1. honey bees or apis mellfera
     2. dance or language or communication or recruitment
     3. forage or food sources

Step 2: Choose the Best Tools

1. Books - search the UW Libraries Catalog or Summit  
2. Scholarly journal articles, popular magazine articles, and newspaper articles
3. Web sources - See Research Guide - Finding Web Sites.

Step 3: Search Databases

1. Develop a search strategy using:

   Boolean operators/connectors

   • Truncation/wildcard

     Allows you to easily search for variant word endings * in many databases, others use ! # ? Example: fish*    Finds fish, fishes, fishing, fisheries, etc Type search query into a database search box: Keywords/key phrases/key concepts linked by connectors Parentheses are used to group or clusters

     
     
   • Refine search strategy as needed
     • Too much information?
       • Try narrowing your results using "AND" to add a concept
       • Use a more specific term or maybe a short phrase that excludes the meaning you don't want.
       • Try adding a new term which makes your old term more specific
       • Use limits (years, language) or field searching (title or subject fields)
     • Too little information?
       • Check spelling
       • Try using broader terms
       • Try using alternate terms or synonyms using "OR"
       • Use truncation if appropriate
       • If searching for a plant or animal use the scientific name (genus and species), using "or" with the common name. Example: mallard* or anas platyrhynchos

Step 4: Find Material

• Books library location and call number indicated in the UW Libraries Catalog
• Articles some databases include links to full text or library holdings. For those that do not, search the UW Libraries Catalog by the title of the journal (not the article title)
• If books or articles are not available at the UW or through the Summit catalog, request through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Evaluate material for appropriateness and suitability. This is especially important for resources found on the Web because anyone can publish on the web and there are no quality standards for the web -- information is not always reviewed before publication. Consider:

• Who is it written for - the general public, scholars, or special interest group?
• Author's and publisher's credibility
• Accuracy
• Objectivity
• Currency/Timeliness

Review the references or bibliographies in the articles or books for more sources.

Natural Sciences Library Reference Desk

• visit in person during the reference desk's open hours
• fill out a request form for a consultation
• email us at natsci@u
• call 206-543-1244

Q&A Live!

Connect to the UW Libraries' real-time, online reference service

Research Guide

Answers to research questions

Research 101

An introduction to research skills tutorial