In order to do research, you have choose a topic. In this case, you need to pick a:
from:
And not only that, but you also have to narrow it down enough for a 5 minute presentation! You might have a brilliant idea right off the bat, but what if you're overwhelmed, or just don't know enough to choose??
This is where special music reference sources come in! They can quickly give you a good sense of what's out there so you can hone in on something you find interesting. Below are some suggestions.
Always try to formulate a question about your topic that your research will try to answer. (It's easier to sort through resources if you're looking for stuff that will help you answer a question.)
Pick out keywords from your question and find synonyms for those keywords. (Use the Search Strategy Builder below to help you! If you've taken INQ 101, it probably looks familiar...)
Then you'll combine your keywords and synonyms into a search string that databases and search engines can understand. (This means using Boolean operators [AND, OR, NOT], putting phrases in quotes, grouping ORs into parentheses... again, the Search Strategy Builder can help you!)
The Search Strategy Builder is a tool designed to teach you how to create a search string using Boolean logic. While it is not a database and is not designed to input a search, you should be able to cut and paste the results into most databases’ search boxes.
Now copy and paste the above Search String into a search box; try SouthernSearch or choose another Database.
The Search Strategy Builder was developed by the University of Arizona Libraries and is used under a Creative Commons License, via Mandy Swygart-Hobaugh at Georgia State.