Intro to Research (1.0)

Sometimes just starting the research process can be the hardest part. There's a lot of research available out there, and filtering through resources can feel like a daunting task! Fortunately, there are several ways to make research easier and more efficient. Techniques like concept analysis can help you decide what terms to use to find the most relevant resources; and the video below will show you how to use the filters in the library search bar to narrow down your results.

Concept Analysis

Concept analysis is a helpful first step when determining what you need to look for in the first place! This is where you start brainstorming and assessing your key words – what are some important ideas that you want to make sure are included in your search? Taking a few minutes to plan out your search in advance can save you a lot of time in the long run. We've created a basic template below that might help you to organize your thoughts!

When you're brainstorming keywords to use in your search terms, you'll first want to pull out the main concepts in your topic or research question - these are usually the nouns in your topic or question. We'll use the term "AND" to link these concepts together. Next, we'll think of synonyms for the original concepts - we'll link these together with "OR". Using synonyms will help come up with even more potentially useful resources.

For example, say I'm looking for articles about integrating engineering in secondary science classrooms. The main concepts are "engineering", "secondary education", and "science" - ideally, the article I find will contain all three terms. However, I'd also be ok with articles that focus on middle school, or that mention STEM instead of explicitly science.

Creating a Search String

Now that we have a few concepts in mind, we're ready to create a search string! This is a handful of key terms that we 'string' together to find relevant resources. Here are a few handy tips for creating a search string:

• DO use operators like "AND" or "OR" to add additional concepts - a search like "engineering AND (middle school OR high school)" will provide more results than just searching "engineering".
• DO be prepared to try different terms and combinations! If "engineering AND (middle school OR high school)" is too broad, try searching "engineering AND "middle school" AND science". If you aren't finding enough articles, try removing a few terms or trying new synonyms.
• DON'T search full sentences - you don't need to phrase your search as a question. Asking "how to integrate engineering into secondary science classrooms" might work on Google, but if you're searching in the Relay library or other databases it might produce fewer relevant results. Searching only the key terms means that the database focuses on the important words ("engineering", "secondary", and "science") and not focusing on less important terms ("how", "integrate", or "classroom").

The video tutorial below will walk you through how to search for books, ebooks, and articles using the Relay library search bar.

Start at 0:00​ to learn how to search and filter results using the library search bar.
Jump to 0:57​ to learn about finding articles using the Relay library search bar and filters.
Jump to 1:33​ to learn how to request an article through Interlibrary Loan.
Jump to 2:11​ to learn about finding books and ebooks using the library search bar and filters.

For more resources on how to search using the Relay library, check out our LIB-101 LibGuide!

Helpful Links

For help finding books and articles using the Relay library, click the "Finding Books and Articles" tab on the left! Sometimes, however, you find an article or a citation that seems to be exactly what you're looking for. How do you know if the library has access to it?

If you only have a citation, you can try searching for the book or article in the library by searching the exact title in the library search bar, or by looking up the journal in our list of journals and databases. You can click the link below for additional instructions, or email us at library@relay.edu for help!

• How to find a specific article when you already know the citation

If you've checked and you're 100% sure this article just isn't available, all isn't lost! You can email us at library@relay.edu or fill out this form to request the article through Interlibrary Loan. We can help you track down a copy of an article or a book chapter for free!

• Keep in mind that Interlibrary Loan typically takes between 1-5 business days to provide copies of an article (so it might not be your best option for a midnight deadline). 
• When submitting an ILL request, the more information you can provide, the better! If possible, please include the article/book title; the author(s); the journal title; the volume/issue; publication date; page numbers; and/or a URL or DOI.