Keyword & Subject Searching

Your Research QuestionLIBS100

June 6, 2005

Why you are here

Unemployment rate in 2003Education attained Median weekly earnings in

2003 (Percent) (Dollars)

2.1 Doctoral degree $1,349

1.7 Professional degree 1,307

2.9 Master's degree 1,064

3.3 Bachelor's degree 900

4.0 Associate degree 672

5.2 Some college, no degree 622

5.5 High-school graduate 554

8.8 Some high-school, no diploma 396

Source: Unemployment rate, 2003 annual average: Bureau of Labor Statistics; earnings, March 2003: Bureau of the Census.

Research Questions

1. Choose a topic2. Narrow your topic to ONE aspect3. Get a working knowledge of your

topic (one minute’s worth)

4. Identify controversies or questions5. Develop your question

Choose a Topic

• Topics are broad

• Must eventually be able to turn into a question

• Topic for in-class work on Wed. June 1:– Hip Hop Music

Narrow your topic• Who• What

– Social, political issues

• When – Historical, current

• Where • Why

– Social significance

Working knowledge

• Reference sources– Encyclopedias (print or online)

• Wikipedia.org

• Authoritative web sites

• Personal knowledge

Identify Controversies or Questions

From your working knowledge

Research Questions: Hip hop Music

• Where did hip hop music originate?– New York– Africa

• Does hip hop incite violence?• Why has hip hop become so

famous?• How has hip hop changed over the

years?

Research Questions: Hip hop Music

• Which early rap groups influenced today’s hip hop music?

• Why do rap artists generate controversy?

• Do rap artists promote political activism? (Iraq war)

Turn a factual question into a research question.

• Why is misogyny so prevalent in the hip hop industry?

• What is the future of hip hop music?

• What kinds of influence has hip hop music had on the clothing industry?

Turn a factual question into a research question.

• What year did hip hop become a commercially viable musical genre?

• What social factors led to the rise of hip hop music?

• What is the impact on society of hip hop music?

Turn a factual question into a research question.

• Which hip hop groups are currently disputing?

• Why do hip hop artists provoke controversy with other artists?

Turn a factual question into a research question.

• What are common slang terms that originated in hip hop?

• Has has hip hop music had a positive (negative) influence on the vocabulary of its fans?

Too Subjective for Research

• Who is the best rapper?• Who has the most interesting

words?

Possible research question• Is success in the hip hop industry

determined by record sales or social significance of lyrics?

Keywords vs. Subjects

• Keywords are words you choose– Think of synonyms, different facets of

the issue.

• Subject searching uses terms chosen by the system you are using– Searcher must find the correct terms

to use.

Subject Searches

• Use controlled vocabularies to organize information

• YOU must use subject terms provided by the system

• Can see list of subject terms when you select an article in the EBSCO databases.

Create Keywords for your topic

Keywords:Hip hop Social significanceHip hop music SocietyDjing Societal changeRap ControversyMusic Violence

ActivismMisogyny

Homework

• Everyone received a grade summary today - it is not too late to redeem your grades!

• Journal entry 5 due - will begin in class today

• Read Rodrigues 61-72 and Grauer 42-47