I like to use what I call the scoping method whenever I start a research project. This means I start by looking for sources with more generalized overviews of my subject, before I narrow down, adjusting my scope, to more granular subtopics. Once I get to this part of the process, I typically seek out experts such as scholars, in journal articles, or more specialized books, preferably anyone who may have more specialized knowledge on the subject. Even if you are fairly sure at the start of what you want to research, it can still be helpful to start with more generalized information sources before jumping into specific topical resources. It will help you gain a better grasp of the vocabulary and key concepts central to the topic so that you can get the gist before reading more high-level resources.
Places to start:
1. Start by articulating your research question or questions. Be specific, what kinds of variables, factors, and relationships are you looking to learn about?
Example: How did people use natural pigments to dye saris yellow in India?
Example: What pigments did artists use to make white in the Renaissance? Why did these use these pigments?
Example: Why did ancient Egyptians use pulverized glass and copper shavings to make "egyptian blue"?
2. Next, try breaking this question into a series of topic terms. Discard relational terms for now, such as "cause", "impact", "effect". What is the meat of your question? The who, what, where?
Example: dye, dyeing, saris, yellow, India
Example: pigments, art history, Renaisance, white
Example: ancient Egypt, blue, pigment
3. Conduct initial searches using boolean operators (see the smart searching tab) OR by browsing physical books.
4. Mine relevant sources for new keywords. When you are in the article record, scroll down to the keywords and subject headings sections. What words are used by the database or authors to describe the resource? Note these down in a notebook or document.
Subject Headings are terms that are most commonly used to describe the topic that a resource covers. Unlike keywords, which are user generated, subject headings are created and maintained by an authoritative institution. For example, since Williams Libraries organizes our resources using the Library of Congress Classification, we also utilize Library of Congress Subject Headings to provide access to our collections by subject.
By clicking on any of the subject headings in this record, you will be brought to a new catalog search of resources also containing this subject heading.