Green Curved Arrow with Wording 'Devise Strategy' DEVISE   STRATEGY


RESEARCH PROJECT ANALYSIS



As you decide on the central theme or thesis of your library research, there are some basic questions that need to be answered:


While attempting to identify the nature of the project required, remember these distinct categories of projects:

  1. Cause & Effect = attempts to explore how a situation has developed, trace the root causes, and then explain the overall effect or consequence of those actions

  2. Critiques = focuses on an evaluation or critical overview of a literary work, societal problem, technological innovation, etc. In a literary analysis, the biography, life influences, writing techniques & themes of an author are explored. For other critiques, a "cause and effect" approach is taken.

  3. Narrative Descriptions = consists of a detail-oriented description of a specific process or problem. The focus here is on providing a complete overview of the topic with expanded analysis of its component parts, working mechanics, and overall effects.

  4. Persuasive Analyses = investigates a specific topic, formulates an opinion, and then proves a thesis based on and documented with research findings


In determining the types and number of sources needed, the course instructor / syllabus usually specifies both the type and number of sources. If the type of source still remains unclear, often the nature of the project will help determine the type of source to be used as shown below:

PROJECT   TYPE SOURCES
  Cause & Effect     encyclopedias, handbooks, manuals,  
  journals, magazines, newspapers, WWW  
  Critiques     encyclopedias, handbooks, journals, WWW  
  Narrative     encyclopedias, handbooks,
  journals, magazines, newspapers, WWW  
  Persuasive Analyses    encyclopedias, almanacs, handbooks,
  journals, WWW  






It is at this point that the researcher should begin to plan and outline possible search strategies.


Once you have completed this "strategy session," then you are prepared for the final phase of your research project: SEARCH SOURCES.



Back to the Top Image Return to Library Research Process home page.