English Language Learners: Academic Research

Need help searching strategically for research assignments? Here's some tips:

1. Consult background resources to choose, explore, and develop your topic.
2. Formulate an arguable and concise research question based on your topic to answer through your research.
3. Choose keywords from your research question and additional alternative keywords to use when searching databases.
4. Remember to evaluate search results to see if the searches you're trying are effective.

When doing scholarly research, it's helpful to use resources dedicated to your field. Use our subject-specific Help Guides as a starting place for research. All our guides are available from our Research Help Guides page. If you need more help, schedule an appointment with a librarian.