1. Start at Milne Library's website
2. Go to Find Articles --> ...by article citation
3. Open Get Text @ Geneseo
4. Fill in the form and click on the "Look Up" button.
CLASS TASK 1: Formulating Topics
1. CQ Researcher: Published by the Congressional Quarterly on a weekly basis. It is a topical newsletter which debates social,political,
legal and business topics. Each issue covers one topic in detail, giving background material, current news on topic, future outlook, factual
briefs, bibliographies and additional reading for further research.
2. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center: A series debating the pros and cons of particular social, legal and political topics. Examples
include abortion, gun control, legalization of drugs, etc.
3. ABI/Inform: Periodical database which contains articles and content from over 1,600 magazines and newspapers in the business, economics,
and management fields. The "Topic Guide" is a searchable directory of topics in the business subject area.
Once you have your topic, your next step is to find out what it is about the subject which interests you?
For example, if you chose the topic of corporate social responsibility, what is it about this topic
you want to find out?
Ask yourself the question:
What is the question about this topic I am trying to answer?
CLASS TASK 2: Breaking topics apart, into concepts
1. Use the topic question given to you on a slip of paper.
2. Fill out the Concept Map worksheet, following the example set out in class.
3. Brainstorm synonyms -- try and think of at least three different words for each concept.
EXAMPLE:
Do corporations have a responsibility to society beyond turning a profit?
a) Narrow topic to three concepts:
corporations, social responsibility, profits
b) Next, think of synonyms for your concepts:
corporations OR businesses OR companies
social responsibility OR citizenship OR social investment OR philanthropy
profits OR profit maximization OR shareholder value OR bottom line
c) Now, create your search statement:
(corporations OR businesses) AND (social responsibility OR citizenship) AND (profits OR bottom line)
Refer to the Boolean Searching handout if you have questions about creating your search string.
CLASS TASK 3: Using a search strategy to find journal, magazine and newspaper articles
Lexis-Nexis
ABI/Inform
1. Use the concept map you created in TASK 2 to find two different journal articles in ABI/Inform and two in Lexis-Nexis.
2. Complete the Search Statement Worksheet.
3. Start with the three concepts you originally came up with and try different search combinations to see if you get different results.
Example of completed Search Statement worksheet
Download a blank copy of the Search Statement worksheet
CLASS TASK 4: Using Get Text to find your article in the library
1. Start at Milne Library's website
2. Go to Find Articles --> ...by article citation
3. Open Get Text @ Geneseo
4. Fill in the form and click on the "Look Up" button.
© 2007, Kate Pitcher