Welcome! This guide covers resources that will be helpful for finding resources for your policy essay outline that you will eventually turn in to your portifolio essay at the end of the semester as well as strategies for finding and evaluating research. And please, if you have any questions or need more assistance contact us!
Getting Started: One activity to do once you have selected a topic from the approved list is to brainstorm about the topic you have chosen. Figuring out what words to use to find the most relevant information on your topic is going to be one of the biggest obstacles you face when researching. Ask yourself: what words or phrases might be used to search for information on your chosen topic, including synonyms and related terms? For instance, for gun ownership, what other terms or keywords might also describe or be related to this topic? Maybe gun control or second amendment? What other words or phrases occur to you? As you search for information on your topic, you may discover other terms that describe your topic that you may not have thought of at first. You may want to re-search resources using the new terms you have found to find additional, relevant sources.
