Learning Guides: Researching for English... and beyond!: Define the problem

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What problem am I solving?

Define your problem:

When beginning research, ask yourself these questions to narrow your topic and understand what you're trying to say:

Problem:	Context:	Solution:
What problem am I trying to solve? Is this the real problem, or merely a piece of a larger one? What is the larger issue?	What do I already know about this subject? What information will I need? Does the problem have an ethical dimension?	If this is an old problem, what's wrong with the previous solution? What conditions must the solution satisfy? Will the solution affect something that must remain unchanged?

Keywords

Keywords are used for searching databases:

Once you narrow your research problem, it is important to take the Keywords from your definition, mind mapping, brainstorming, and any reading you have done and create a list.

This may be the most important piece of the research process because you will continue to use these keywords throughout your entire paper. The longer and more diverse your list, the easier research will be.

These are the words you will use in your database searches!

For Example:

Topic: Environmental impact of monocultures
Keywords: Monoculture, Environment, Monocrop, Farming, Single Crop, Industrial Agriculture, Erosion, Pollinators, Bananas, (keep going there are more!)
Database Search Terms: Put those keywords to work!! Mix and match keywords and type them into your database search bar.
Tip Use Boolean Operators: Boolean operators are words used to combine or exclude keyword searches. Use AND when you want both words in your results Use OR when you want either of the words in your results Use NOT when you want to exclude a certain term from your results Using AND, OR, NOT between keywords narrows and strengthens your results:
Monoculture Environment AND Monocrop Environment AND Monoculture Monoculture Farming Monocrop NOT Animals Single Crop Farming Industrial Agriculture AND Monocrop Monoculture AND Erosion Monocrop OR Monoculture Monoculture AND Pollinators Monoculture AND Bananas

Remember: Not all searches will give you what you need, that's ok, keep trying! Research takes practice and perseverance!