What is a Research Strategy?

An effective research strategy should be a methodical series of steps that one follows to find information, but these steps can be interchangeable. Frequently, there are points within the research process where returning to prior steps could lead to finding additional information.

An important part of starting a search is developing an effective search strategy. This process can be broken down into ten steps.

	Selecting a Topic & Locating Background Information
	Formulating a Search Statement
	Identifying Keywords /Key Phrases/Key Concepts
	Subject Searching
	Combining Search Terms - Boolean Operators
	Selecting a Database
	Documenting your Research
	Analyzing Information Sources
	Evaluating Results

"Now that you have completed the Research Strategy section, let's move onto the next section. To proceed, click on the Selecting a Topic and Locating Background Information link below."