SHU Library Instruct

SHU Library Instruct: Critical Thinking

Research and Source Evaluation Strategies

Creating a Research Plan (Video)

Throughout your college experience, personal life, and career, you will have to complete a variety of research projects that will require you to use different methodologies, resources, and approaches.

Creating a research plan will help prepare you to tackle any type of research project you take on. Research plans are outlines of how you intend to conduct your research.

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Framing a Problem (Video)

Starting to research a topic or problem can be both exciting and overwhelming. As you begin, you’ll want to have formed an idea about your research purpose in order to stay focused.

The way you formulate your question will establish the purpose of your research so that you will know exactly what you are looking for.

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Identifying Search Strategies (Video)

Searching isn’t always that simple. Sometimes it’s easy to get bogged down in the amount of information that’s out there and it can be hard to find what you need.

The following video discusses strategies for finding information. While watching, you’ll become familiar with different search strategies based on the type of information you need.

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QUIZ: Research Strategies Quiz

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Bias and Assumption (Video)

All people have preconceived notions about how the world works and what to expect from certain situations. Sometimes a tendency to think one way or another can compromise a person’s ability to reason with evidence and ideas effectively. This is bias.

It’s important to be aware of the existence of biases when evaluating your own responses to sources and situations, and when examining the reasoning and arguments of others.

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Types of Resources (Video)

When researching a topic, it’s important to consider a variety of resources—even ones you previously may have overlooked.

Watch the following video to learn how to determine if a resource has quality information, how to select an appropriate resource, and the importance of analyzing a resource’s benefits and limitations.

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Purpose and Value of Evidence (Video)

After you’ve chosen a research topic and formulated a specific research question, it’s important to become familiar with the most significant past and current research that’s been done on your chosen topic.

A body of knowledge grows because professionals in the field don’t just rely on past inquiry into their subject—they engage in ongoing research. This means they search for new information and develop their own ideas and theories about a subject.

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QUIZ: Evaluating Sources Quiz

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