LIBS150 UMUC Understanding and Using Boolean Operators Paper

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Planning and Organizing Research

A research log is an effective tool for mapping out your research activities and helping you keep track of the research you have done. It can be in whatever format you prefer—print, such as on note cards, or electronic. No matter what format you choose, as you track your research, it is important to immediately record the sources consulted, such as the page number of an idea that you may use later when writing a paper.

If you carefully track your progress in a research log, you will likely find more relevant information and spend less time searching. Doing so will help you

  • choose what search terms to use
  • decide where to search for information
  • develop and revise your search strategy
  • evaluate materials
  • cite what sources you will use when writing your paper

You will be better able to provide the appropriate attribution to a source, and locate the information again if needed, if you record the necessary information (author, publication date, title, page number) as you consult each source. We will begin to work on building a research log at the end of this week.