Welcome to the Ecology Research Guide! Use tabs above for more information on the following topics:
▪ Books: Use the Library Catalog to access books/ebooks and more
▪ Articles: Use Databases to access articles from periodicals (journals, magazines and newspapers) and more
▪ Websites: Find out where to go to get reliable info online
▪ Citation Help: Access info on citing sources and using NoodleTools or RefWorks
▪ Related Guides: Links to assignment guides, course guides, writing research paper tips and more
▪ Ask Us: Contact for more help
There's a lot of information out there, but not all of it is appropriate for your research. You'll need to evaluate what you find and an easy way to evaluate is with the TRAAP Test. TRAAP stands for Timeliness, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. Click on the PDF link below to learn more.
Synonymous, Broader, Narrower Terms
Before you start your search, think about your search terms. Determine the main idea(s) in your research question or topic. These will be your search terms. For example, if your research question is Should capital punishment be abolished?, then your search term is capital punishment. Make a list of synonymous terms, broader terms and narrower terms. Here's another look at this research question and a few related terms.
VisuWords
Can't think of any related terms? Try this online graphical dictionary and thesaurus.
