Skip to Main Content

Sociology: Research & Writing Tips

Welcome to Research & Writing Tips

Research Tips:

 

1. When doing research for an assignment, first think about what your topic or thesis is. 

                                          

2. Next, what are the buzz words or keywords of your topic?

                       

                        - Make a list.

                        - Start general with general terms.

                        - Then narrow down to more specific keywords.

                        - Don't type in whole sentences; stick to relevant

                          keywords.

 

3. Use the Boolean Operators with your keywords to include the results you want and filter out what you don't want. (Here's a youtube clip of how they work)

                        

                         - AND, OR, NOT are the 3 Boolean Operators.

                         - Find more tips on using symbols and filters HERE.

4. When you find a good article, these clues can lead you to others:

                       

                          - Check the Bibliography of the article for more

                            articles.

                       

5. Begin with reading more general articles on your topic, then more specific ones about your thesis.

                          

                           - You will find articles to support the different aspects of your essay and thesis.

 

6. Lastly, there are always librarians ready to help you. Library hours are listed here.

Library Tools


Install LibKey Nomad!

  • Go to libkeynomad.com 
  • Select your browser
  • Download and install
  • Select Vanguard University
  • Go! Check out Wikipedia, PubMed, Sage, and other websites and look for LibKey links.
  • Look for the "Access Options" button on the websites you visit.

Helpful Links