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Start Your Research

Follow these steps to get started on your research project: 

  1. Develop your thesis statement or research questions. 
     
  2. Identify keywords that you can use for search terms. These could be the name of person, theory, or key concepts from your research questions. 
     
  3. Identify the types of sources you will need for your project. Usually a combination of scholarly articles, books, and demographic data is best for human relations research. Check the tabs to the left to find the databases most relevant to your topic. 
     
  4. Conduct a search in these databases using your keywords. Refine your keywords and search strategy and repeat the search until you find the most appropriate materials. Watch the Smooth Operator video to the right for developing an advanced search strategy.  
     
  5. Need more research help? Book a research appointment with the librarian for human relations

Smooth Operator: Advanced Search Strategies