This document provides an overview of developing a research topic for Anthropology 4850. It discusses developing a preliminary topic, getting background information from encyclopedias and online sources, reformulating the topic, constructing an effective search string using Boolean operators and subject terms, searching relevant databases and search engines, and using citation management tools like Zotero, EndNote, and Mendeley. The example topic provided is "The impact of transgenic plants on peasants in Latin America."

1. Library research clinic for Anthropology 4850 Marinus Swanepoel

2. Developing a research topic Constructing a search string Using databases Using search engines Citation management

3. Developing a research topic

4. A. Choose a preliminary topic.

5. B. Get background information 2.1 Use encyclopedias for an overview e.g. Biographical dictionary of social and cultural anthropology [electronic resource] / edited by VeredAmit access title online (U of L users only)

6. Or

7. 2. 1. 3.

9. Or http://www.britannica.com/#

10. or

13. Right click

14. or

15. More visualization/Mind mapping http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/extensions/freemind/flashwindow.php?initLoadFile=/ wiki/images/9/9c/Writing_an_essay_with_FreeMind.mm&startCollapsedToLevel=5&mm_title= Writing_an_essay_with_FreeMind.mm

16. Finding more sources

20. C. Reformulate your preliminary topic

21. 2. Constructing a search string The research process will take you from evidence to topic and back to evidence again many times. It will be about compromise and default as much as design and tactics at times.

22. The impact of transgenic plants on peasants in Latin America

23. Boolean re-cap

24. http://www.uleth.ca/lib/guides/research/display.asp?PageID=35

25. ((transgenic plants) OR (genetically modified organisms) OR (GMOs)) AND ((peasants OR campesinos) AND (Peru OR Latin America))

27. Use subject searching

29. 3. Use databases

30. Expand to Ebscofamily Expand Proquest family

31. 4. Use search engines

36. More Google: http://www.google.ca/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?answer=136861

37. http://academic.research.microsoft.com/

38. http://www.hakia.com/ Sections of format: Web/Blogs/etc

39. http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl.t3.3/search/home

40. 5. Citation management

41. http://www.zotero.org/

42. http://www.citeulike.org/ Social

43. http://www.mendeley.com/

44. http://www.endnote.com/enwebinfo.asp

45. http://www.uleth.ca/lib/guides/technology/display.asp?PageID=110

46. http://www.uleth.ca/lib/guides/research/display.asp?PageID=1

47. Compare http://blogs.plos.org/mfenner/files/2010/09/Reference-Manager-Overview.pdf

48. Thank You