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(CC)

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(CC)

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(CC)

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(CC)

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(CC)

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.

2018 LOEX Conference Presentation: Beyond the Library One-Shot: Scaffolding a Relevant and Authentic Foundation for First-Year Student Researchers
2018 ARL Assessment Conference Poster: Student Self-Reports on their Library Research Comfort Levels: Using the Data to Improve Library Instruction
2019 Book Chapter: Uncovering the comfort levels of students who are conducting library research. In M. Mallon, R. Huisman, L. Hays, C. Bradley, J. Belanger (Eds.). The Grounded Instruction Librarian: Participating in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Chicago, IL: ACRL Press.

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

donna.ziegenfuss@utah.edu

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