General Tips for Conducting Graduate Level Research

• Develop a research topic –one that is interesting to you, captures your attention and stimulates your curiosity.
• Read and explore background information. Perform a literature review.
• Build an annotated bibliography using Endnote, Reference Manager , Zotera or other bibliographic tool.
• Focus the scope of the research based on information that is available, research for which there is an information gap, information that is accessible based on time and or travel restraints.
  • When is this paper/project due?
  • Is information available on campus or through campus resources?
  • Will you have to travel to access this information?
  • Who is the audience for this research?
  • How exhaustive should the research be? Class paper? Publishable paper/article? Thesis? Dissertation?
• Identify core resources required to begin researching. Understand the scope and content of each resource.
  • Journals
  • Bibliographies
  • Databases
    • Subject specific/scholarly
    • Alternative resources
  • Archival material/ primary sources
  • Dissertations/Theses/Journalism Master’s Projects
  • Identify additional types of resources that might provide supporting information.
    • Biographies
    • Dictionaries
    • Style Guides
    • News
    • Polls
    • Transcripts
    • Surveys
    • Government documents
    • Statistics
    • Original research
• Identify appropriate research methodologies
  • Browse/scan books, journal articles, databases, archival research
  • Interviews, surveys, etc. (understand IRB policies)
• Evaluate access and manage time
  • Free or lower cost access when information is not readily accessible
    • Interlibrary loan
    • Telephone or email interview rather than traveling to a location for an interview.
    • Local rather than distant archives
    • Government records (government depository or online resources)
    • Translator necessary?
  • Create a schedule of when research/field work needs to be completed, review/bibliography to be completed, journal submission deadlines, etc. based on deadlines.
  • Construct and implement effectively designed search strategies.
    • Exploit database thesauri
    • Understand controlled vocabulary
    • Understand and use Boolean logic effectively
    • Apply search strategies in various information retrieval systems.
    • Implement and use database/article alert systems
  • Assesses quantity, quality and relevance of search results.
  • Examine and compare information from various sources, evaluating reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, point-of-view and bias.
  • Recognize cultural, physical, or other context within which information was created and understand the impact of context on interpreting information.
  • Summarize and synthesize information.
  • Draw conclusions based upon information gathered.
  • Test hypotheses/theories with discipline-appropriate techniques.
  • Validate your understanding and interpretation of information through dialogue with other graduate students, subject area experts and professionals.
  • Organize the content in a manner that supports the purposes and format of the paper/thesis/article; analyze the content within the framework of the discipline.
  • Effectively incorporate data, images, etc. as appropriate.
  • Communicate clearly, accurately citing resources, demonstrating an understanding of intellectual property, copyright, and fair use of copyrighted material.
  • Finish your research project by deadline.

  Some content based on: Information Literacy Competency Standards for Journalism Students and Professionals.