All Guides: Journalism: Start Here

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Hello Journalism Students!

This guide is designed to support journalism students in their research and studies. You'll find a selection of books, journals, databases, and other resources on topics such as journalism ethics, interview techniques, reporting on vulnerable communities, digital journalism, and media bias. Explore our curated resources and stay updated with the latest trends and practices in the ever-evolving field of journalism.

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Research Process Overview

Doing research takes time. You can't realistically expect to do a single search and find everything that you'll need to write a college level research paper. As you get started on your research, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Before you Search

Start by brainstorming:

Review your assignment criteria. What topics are acceptable? How many sources do you need? What types of publications are acceptable?
Plan your Research. Decide on a topic, research question, and keywords.
Consider Types of Sources. What type of publications would have information about your topic? Books? Journals? Websites?
Choose a Database. Decide on the best place to look for sources on your topic.

While you Search

Pay attention to the results:

Were there too many results? Too few?
Where did your keywords appear? What keywords did you use that are working? What keywords are confusing your results?
What vocabulary are the authors are using? Are there any new words that you could add to your list of keywords?

Modify your search strategy and search terms as needed.

After you Search

Reflect on your search:

Did you find enough sources to meet your assignment requirements?
Were you satisfied with the relevance and quality of the sources you found?
What strategies worked well? What strategies were not helpful?

Be sure to Chat with Us if you are still struggling to find sources for your assignment.

Journalism

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