Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.
There are no "golden tickets" or perfect sources in academic research which answer all your research questions. If you think you've found it, revising your research question/topic is probably needed.
Patience & mental flexibility is required to locate reliable sources
Where should research begin when developing a topic?
Start by using general reference library databases, such as Credo, to:
Find a topic
Fine-tune a topic
Find background info on a topic
Many databases offer additional features to assist you during your research. Utilize the related searches "spider web" feature and citation tool in Credo.
Give it a try!
Click on the Credo Reference link directly above
Search for social activism
Using the "spider web" related searches feature, select hacktivism
Select article on hacktivist
What other strategies can you use to research more efficiently?
Research Prep
Open new Word document before you begin searching for sources
Format this document properly for APA or MLA and create your References or Works Cited page
For MLA:
Label the page Works Cited, centered at the top of the page (do not italicize, bold or put in quotation marks).
For APA:
Label the page References in bold, centered at the top of the page (do not underline or use quotation marks).
For both MLA & APA, double space and create a hanging indent for all citations.
Select Paragraph Settings on the Home Page
Select Hanging in the Special drop down box
Select Double in the Line Spacing drop down box
Select 0 pt. in the After drop down box under the Spacing heading
Save time by copying and pasting citations using citation tools as you locate sources
But, instead of simply pasting the citation into your doc, use the "merge formatting" option when pasting so that the citation will be properly formatted in your document
To merge formatting, right-click in an area of the document where you want to paste and merge the text. Next, click on the "Merge Formatting" icon under the Paste Options section of the context menu
Give it a try!
Locate the citation tool at the top of the Credo webpage for the hacktivist article
Copy the proper citation style
Use the "Research Prep" instructions above to format your document & paste the proper citation into the doc using the "merge formatting" option described above
Filters and Additional Features
ProQuest Central is another general reference database you can use to further develop your topic
Use ProQuest filters such as: Full Text, Peer Reviewed, Source Type, and Publication Date to obtain more relevant search results!
Read abstract to determine if the article is right for your research
Use ProQuest subject terms & related items features to obtain additional search terms & sources
Give it a try!
Click on the ProQuest link directly above
Search for hacktivism
Select the following filters: Full Text, Peer Reviewed, Publication Date (within past 5 years)
Note how search results have been lowered significantly
Select the top article
Select the Abstract/Details tab
Use Subject Terms for additional search terms if needed
Use Related Items for additional sources if needed
Select Citation Tool & proper style to copy & merge formatting into your Word doc
Use the Word sorting feature after compiling all your citations to quickly alphabetize your References or Works Cited page
To use the sort feature, first highlight all your citations. Then, select the A-Z sort feature icon in the "Paragraph" section of your Word tool bar. Finally, select OK
