Doing some background research prior to actually searching for articles will help familiarize yourself with your topic and also help you come up with search terms.
Spending a few minutes up front doing background research will save you time in the long run! (Remember avoiding that frustration thing?!)
You will also do better searches which will help lead to better papers...and better grades!
To get an idea of what's out there on your topic, do some Internet searching. You are not necessarily looking for sources, but make a note of any websites that might be citeable. (Remember you must always evaluate your sources!).
Below are some tips for searching Google.
To come up with a focused research question, it is recommended that you begin by answer the following questions:
Who does the issue affect? (Specific population -- age? background [race, ethnicity, gender, etc.])
What is the issue?
Where is the issue taking place? (Urban, rural, state, region, US)
Why is this issue important?
*Keep in mind that it may be difficult to find information specifically on South Carolina. When you search, you may need to look at information from similar states or other states in the region.
Once you have a research question, this 'Search Preparation Worksheet' will help you think about your search terms in order to be more effective finding sources.
