Conducting Secondary Research for Research Report

Workshop 5
Overview
This workshop provides you with the opportunity to find relevant secondary research on the
topic that you have chosen to write your research report, paraphrase the key points and
reference and cite them using in APA@Conestoga.
Instructions
 Select one of the 4 research topics and indicate what type of information you are
looking for in relation to the topic. The research topics are
 Student Elections
 The Venue
 Athletic Centre
 Transportation-Environment
 Complete the Database Search Worksheet
 Brainstorm different variations of keyword concepts from your Topic / Research
Objective
 Document different combinations of keywords and search tools for your search
 Conduct a searching for periodical, magazines or journals using different combinations
of keywords and search tools
 Record the results in the worksheet
 Find three sources of information from the LRC databases for the topic you have chosen
and indicate
 the search statement that retrieved the article
 the name of the database where the source was found.
 the name of the author(s)
 the title of the article
 the name of the journal
 the pages where the article is located
 reference for the source using APA@Conestoga
 Paraphrase (in your own words) what the articleis about
 Cite explanation with an in-text citation following APA@Conestoga format
 Rate the credibility and relevance of each source and explain the reason for your rating.
 Submit this completed Worksheep
Scenario
You are required to conduct research and write a report on one of the 4 topics for your Research Report.
Using the periodical databases available through Conestoga College, complete the Workshop 5
template.

2
Workshop 5
Database Search Worksheet:
(A) Search Objective/Topic:
 Impact of Student Election Program
(B) Keyword Brainstorm
 Keywords: Student Voting Program (SVP), assistance ship in voting,
 Identifyrelevant specific and general terms
 Impact on the election> Student voting program> impact of the program on the
situation> recommendations and improvement.
Key Concepts > Keyword(s)
1(Who)
Keyword(s) 2
(What)
Keyword(s) 3
(Where)
Keyword(s) 4
(Where)
Keyword(s) 5
Main Keywords
Similar words >
Student
voting
program
Participation
in the
election
Canada
Evaluation improvemen
t
Canada
Gender Inclined
towards
election
Voting
process
(C) Search Tools
Create search statements using search tools with keywords
Operators Exact Phrases /Nesting Truncation /Wild Card
 OR > either
word
(expand)
 AND > both
words
(narrow)
 NOT >
 “exact phrase”
< not separate
words
 (brackets to
group)
 Truncate: e.g.
employ*
 Wild Card: e.g.
wom?n
COMM1380 - Communications Dept. 2

3
Workshop 5
exclude
(narrow)
Use a combination of general searches and search strategies that use different search tools
 Broaden: student election OR voting program
Narrow: AND
 Voting system or participation
AND
 Gender
AND
 Boys or girls
AND
 Canada OR any other country
(Student election OR Voting Program) AND (Voting system Participation) AND (Gender) AND (Boys OR
Girls) AND (Canada OR any other country)
COMM1380 - Communications Dept. 3