Argumentative Research Essay

Let's Get Started with Research

List your final keywords

Now that you have done a little preliminary research and have narrowed down your topic, you are ready to begin your research for your paper..

Based on your final research question, list several keywords in your research packet now as the starting point for your research. Remember that you can use synonyms for your main ideas to help you in your search.

Keywords graphic

Internet Search Strategies

Boolean Operators

For your internet research, it is important to understand some advanced methods of searching to make your research more effective. In addition to searching for keywords, you can use Boolean operators to make your searches more effective. This is simply using your key terms with the words, “And,” “Or,” and “Not” to focus the results to provide sources that more closely match what you are looking for. For an interactive example of how Boolean operators work, visit this website:

 Using Boolean Operators

Going back to our example, if we search for junk food and banned and schools, we will find only pages that include all three search terms. This will will help to focus our research. Currently, if a google search is done with the term junk food banned schools, your results will include over 2,840,000 websites. However, if a search is done using Boolean operators with a junk food and banned and schools, you will receive 1,280,000 results. This is still a very large number of results, but you can see how using Boolean operators can focus your results so that you are beginning with websites that are more closely related to your specific topic. This is a good starting point.

 If you find any sources that you might like to use when you start your research,  list them in your packet so that you can refer back to them. You may also want to bookmark them on your browser for future reference.

Google Advanced Search

Another tool that you can use is the Advanced Search Tool in Google. Go to this link  

Using Google Advanced Search

This site will help you find some sources using some advanced strategies to limit your topic.

Remember to list any sources in your packet that you find that may be useful to your research. You will build on this list as you continue to research your topic. You may also want to bookmark any webpages so that you can easily find them later.