The planning phase is an essential part of the research process. In this phase, you think about the information you will need to gather. You map out a strategy for identifying potential resources, and you focus your research topic.

Try beginning with the scope. The scope of a research question identifies the breadth and boundaries of your topic. A research question can be broad, or it can be focused and specific.

Narrowing the scope of your research question can help tailor the information you find. This can make the research process faster and smoother.

Once you have defined the scope of your research question, try:

• Brainstorming
  • Make rough notes and come up with new ideas that are more broadly related to your topic.
• Making a research plan
  • Start thinking about how you might gather research. This could include performing a Google search, utilizing the library e-resources, or going to the library in person to look through books.
• Mapping out some keywords related to your topic. (Hint: The keywords will inform the quality and types of results produced.)

Keywords capture the main idea of what is being researched. Use keywords to search for the most relevant information on your topic. Use them when searching Google or your school’s library database.

When searching for information:

• Refine keywords after your first search.
• Refine again after subsequent searches!
• Keep an open mind, as some search results might be different than what you originally expected.
• Try an entirely new search with refined keywords—small changes can yield different results. (Bobkowski, 2018a)

Check out a video from Conestoga College (2016) on keywords here, and answer some of the questions below:

• What is translation in regards to the research process?
• What are the steps of the translation process?
• What are the differences between a broad versus narrowed search?

Let’s put keywords into practice.

Broad Topic:

Benefits of exercise

Narrrowed:

Physical and mental benefits of exercise for students

Keywords:

students, reasons to exercise, physical benefits, mental benefits, exercise

 

When searching using keywords, make sure to:

• Note the keywords you use.
• Use definitions when developing keywords.
  • Definitions often include synonyms, and these can help widen your search.
• Document and save your search results often.
  • Save a list of search results in a Word file.

To learn more about keyword searches:

See the following source from Centennial College Library Services.

Search operators help narrow the scope of your search results. Search operators include:

• Quotation marks
• Minus sign
• The word or (Harnish, 2017; Bobkowski, 2018b; Common Sense Education, 2018)

QUOTATION MARKS

What happens when you search using quotation marks?

The search will include only sources that include the exact words between the quotation marks.

If you search “physical benefits of exercise for students,” the search will return results that use this exact phrase. Sources on this topic that do not use this exact phrase will not show up as a search result.

MINUS SIGN

What happens when you use the minus sign in your search?

The search performed will leave out any additional words or phrases included after the minus sign.

If your keyword search includes “mental benefits of exercise for students – physical,” the results will include only sources that discuss the mental benefits of exercise for students. It will exclude sources that discuss physical benefits

OR

What happens when you use the word or (between keywords)?

The search performed will include information from either only one of your key search phrases or both together.

If your keyword search includes “physical benefits of exercise or mental benefits of exercise,”your results will include sources that discuss either the physical benefits of exercise on its own or the mental benefits of exercise on its own.Therefore, using or casts a wider net than using and.

Keeping research organized will help in the planning and documentation phases of the research process. Research can quickly pile up in tabs opened on your browser or books scattered across the floor. It can easily become overwhelming to remember where your information comes from. It’s never too early to start taking notes and documenting the sources you’ve found (Bobkowski, 2018a).

Documentation tips:

• Keep a Word file open with any relevant information you’ve found.
• Copy and paste the URLs/links of relevant information into the Word file.
• Write a brief description of the source: what it is about and why it might be useful.
• Keep track of the keywords you use during your search.

Keeping research organized will help in the planning and documentation phases of the research process. Research can quickly pile up in tabs opened on your browser or books scattered across the floor. It can easily become overwhelming to remember where your information comes from. It’s never too early to start taking notes and documenting the sources you’ve found (Bobkowski, 2018a).

Documentation tips:

• Keep a Word file open with any relevant information you’ve found.
• Copy and paste the URLs/links of relevant information into the Word file.
• Write a brief description of the source: what it is about and why it might be useful.
• Keep track of the keywords you use during your search.

Try It!

Here is a drag and drop activity on scope. Drag the narrowed topic and match it with the broad topic.

See Plan References