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Five Top Strategies for Becoming a More Effective Researcher

This section of the Online Library One-Stop Resource, will present a framework that recommends using 5 searching strategies to become a more effective researcher. These Strategies apply to both undergraduate and graduate students but on the individual strategies pages you will see Basic and Advanced sections to accommodate different levels of experience. Use whatever strategy best meets your needs. Begin with Strategy #1, but the other 4 strategies can be reviewed in any order based on your need. The think-aloud videos below will provide an introduction in media form of the strategy and walk you through some processes and resources. The one page for each strategy (linked to the strategy name) will provide more information and links for further exploration.


Strategy 1: Go Broad page

  • DO THIS SECTION FIRST
  • Set Up Google Scholar to link to the Marriott Library resources and do a broad search to explore the conversation around your research topic
  • Use USearch, the library catalog to see a broad view of the sources owned by the library (books, digital library, etc.)

Strategy #1 Think Aoud: Go Broad Think Aloud VIdeo Link Links to an external site.(CC Links to an external site.)

 

Strategy 2: Dig Deeper into Good Resources page

  • Dig deeper into specific library databases, organized by discipline and other resources
  • Find scholarly sources

Strategy #2 Think Aloud: Dig Deeper Think Aloud Link Links to an external site.(CC Links to an external site.)

 

Strategy 3: Mine What You Find page

  • Mine good sources that you find for keywords, journals, other references, and methodologies

Strategy #3 Think Aloud: Mine What You Find Think Aloud Link Links to an external site.(CC Links to an external site.)

 

Strategy 4: Build a Research Toolbox page

  • Explore research tools like citation managers, storage solutions, project management tools, and visual tools to help with your research

Strategy #4 Think Aloud: Build a Research Toolbox Link Links to an external site.(CC Links to an external site.)

 

Strategy 5: Scope Out Other Resources, Tools, & People page 

  • Learn about primary vs secondary resources
  • Use special databases & Google hacks to find data, reports and grey literature
  • Ask questions!

Strategy #5 Think Aloud: Scope Out Other Resources Links to an external site.Strategy 5 scope out other resources(CC Links to an external site.)

 

For Faculty:

These 5 strategies were developed from research conducted with students taking library information literacy classes. Student completed pre- and post surveys with open ended questions. The comments were analyzed using qualitative methodologies and the strategies are based on the themes that emerged from that data.

 

Donna Harp Ziegenfuss, EdD
College of Education Library Liaison and Associate Librarian in Faculty Services

donna.ziegenfuss@utah.edu 

 

 

This course content is offered under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial Share AlikeLinks to an external site. license. Content in this course can be considered under this license unless otherwise noted.