Research Question and Search Strategy Framework Assessment

What is your research question?

What search terms will you use?

What are the main concepts from your question? What do you need to find out about?

What else could you search for? Synonyms, examples, broader terms, etc.

How will you construct your search?

Now you know what you want to search for – and what search terms to use – you can put together a search in a way databases will understand.

• Write out the concepts and related terms in the table below, noting how they are combined using connectors (AND, OR) and parentheses.
• Put phrases in quotation marks.
• Use a truncation symbol to find variations of the same word (see the legend below for more information).

Legend

Assessment Requirements Summary

This assignment is a guide to effective research strategy , focusing on developing a well-structured research question and creating a systematic search plan. The assessment requires students to:

1. Formulate a Research Question: The core of the task is to define a specific research question.

2. Identify Key Concepts and Search Terms: Break down the research question into its main concepts and then brainstorm a list of synonyms, broader terms, and related keywords for each concept.

3. Construct a Search Strategy: Using the identified terms, students must demonstrate how they would construct a search query using Boolean operators , parentheses, quotation marks , and truncation symbols . This is to show understanding of how to make a search database-friendly and efficient.

The Academic Mentor's Approach to the Assessment

The academic mentor guided the student through the assessment in a step-by-step process, focusing on building a solid foundation in information literacy and research methodology.

Step 1: Formulating the Research Question 

The mentor began by helping the student craft a focused and clear research question . They emphasized that a good research question is not too broad or too narrow. For example, instead of "What is the impact of social media?", a better question would be "How does the use of social media affect the mental health of teenagers?" This ensures the research is manageable and directed. The mentor explained that the question should be specific enough to guide the search but broad enough to allow for multiple sources and perspectives.

Step 2: Deconstructing the Question into Concepts 

Once the research question was finalized, the mentor instructed the student to break it down into its main concepts . Using the example "How does the use of social media affect the mental health of teenagers?", the concepts would be:

• Concept 1: Social media

• Concept 2: Mental health

• Concept 3: Teenagers

The mentor explained that this deconstruction is a crucial first step, as each concept will become a separate component of the final search query.

Step 3: Brainstorming Keywords and Synonyms 

For each of the identified concepts, the mentor guided the student to brainstorm a list of related terms, synonyms, and broader or narrower terms . This process is vital for ensuring a comprehensive search.

Step 4: Constructing the Search String 

This was the final and most technical part of the process.

The mentor then walked the student through filling out the provided table, showing how to combine the brainstormed terms using the correct syntax.

Final Outcome and Learning Objectives

The step-by-step guidance resulted in a detailed and systematic research plan. The final submission included a focused research question, a comprehensive list of related search terms, and a correctly constructed search query using Boolean logic.

The learning objectives covered were:

1. Formulating a Research Question: The student learned how to create a clear, focused, and answerable research question.

2. Information Literacy: The student developed the skill of deconstructing a research topic into key concepts.

3. Keyword Brainstorming: The student practised identifying a wide range of relevant search terms, including synonyms and related phrases.

4. Database Search Techniques: The student gained a practical understanding of how to use Boolean operators, truncation, and parentheses to build a powerful and efficient search strategy, which is a foundational skill for academic research.

Get Ahead with Our Sample Solution! 

This sample solution is designed to help you understand the requirements and structure of a high-quality academic assignment. Use it as a guide to master the concepts and improve your writing skills.

Plagiarism Warning: Submitting this file as your own work is a serious academic offence. This sample is for reference only. Using it directly will lead to a zero score and academic penalties.

For a solution that's 100% original and tailored to your specific needs, let our professional academic writers create a fresh, plagiarism-free assignment just for you. Get the grade you deserve without the risk!