Skip to Main Content

Your browser is unsupported

We recommend using the latest version of IE11, Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

English 160 &161: Introduction to Library Research

Library Research Workshop Day 2: Outline & Checklist

Reading a Scholarly Article

Is this scholarly? Why or why not? What are the clues?

How can you use the article to identify keywords or connect to other sources on the same topic? 

Quick tips for working with scholarly articles:

  • Start with the abstract
  • Next, read the introduction and the conclusion
  • Read the middle last (this is often the dense/technical part so it helps to build a broader understanding first)

 

 

 

 

Refining Your Topic

Share your topic idea to the Jamboard (could be a rough idea, a question, or both)

Mindmapping, or concept mapping as it is also called, can be an effective way of brainstorming. By plotting out your topic in a visual manner, you can discover connections and identify any missing pieces. It's also a great way to develop keywords and synonyms for database searching.​​​​​​