# data[].attributes.body
Have you ever received a research prompt from a professor and didn’t know where to start? Or possibly you’ve felt unsure about in which direction you’d like your project to go. If that is the case, you can follow the steps of choosing and refining a topic, searching for and evaluating information, and using information.

# data[].attributes.body
Even a quick Google search is beneficial. For example, I knew I wanted to start with the broad topic of body image, so I gained background information on the subject.

# data[].attributes.body
During my search on body image, I came across a recommended YouTube video about elite athlete Mary Cain titled I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike. I found more information written both by Mary Cain and by various sports article authors. If you find specific authors, writers, or influencers who discuss your topic in detail, check out other work they have done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike | NYT Opinion

# data[].attributes.body
Before I limited my search of the literature to scholarly articles, I brainstormed words and concepts related to body image. Those words and concepts later became my "keywords" that guided my search for more particular information.

# data[].attributes.body
Use the keywords from the brainstorming process, and place them into Grand Valley State University's Library search bar (found directly at the top of the website).

# data[].attributes.headline
Step 2: Searching for and Evaluating Information

# data[].attributes.subject
Step 2: Searching for and Evaluating Information

# data[].attributes.body
In the picture above, I have the words “body image exercise” typed into the search bar. The search bar automatically places an “and” in between those words. This means that the results must only show information containing the words body, image, and exercise all together. Imagine if the word “or” was placed in between each word - the results could completely diverge from the topic.

# data[].attributes.body
Even with a more narrow topic than I first started with, my results were far too broad. I limited my search results using the limiter tools to the left of the search bar (labeled "Refine Your Search").

# data[].attributes.body
What do peer-reviewed and scholarly articles look like? The picture above shows the definitions of each with examples of types of scholarly articles you will encounter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
scholarly articles and peer reviewed work.PNG

# data[].attributes.body
Scholarly articles that are peer-reviewed are the best resources for your research.

For more information on empirical articles, review articles, theoretical articles, book reviews, and peer-reviewed work, watch librarian Gayle Schaub’s videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Empirical and other Scholarly literature_default

# data[].attributes.body
While reading through articles, there is one easy way to check if they are scholarly. Most scholarly literature will follow the IMRaD foundation, which stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. If an article contains these sections (or sections similar, for example, "findings" instead of results) that is a strong sign that the article is scholarly.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading through over 600,000 results would be impossible. I narrowed my topic to a subcategory recurring in a few of my results: exercise dependence. With a more narrowed topic, it was easier to choose which articles to skip over and which ones to investigate further (and my results slimmed down by over 90%!)

# data[].attributes.body
With my previously mentioned limitations in place and my keywords now “exercise dependence,” I still had over 50,000 results. Reading through so many results is not realistic. However, one quick way to determine whether an article will be useful is to read the abstract. An abstract of a research paper is similar to an introduction. It could describe a study or summarize findings.

# data[].attributes.body
As you continue your research, you will find yourself asking more distinct questions.

# data[].attributes.body
Using keywords from the questions I still had, I created new searches for multiple databases. Databases are collections of journal articles placed together by discipline to provide an efficient way of searching for resources.

# data[].attributes.body
To find a database, go into the Grand Valley State University's  Library website. Directly under the search bar, there is a research tool labeled Databases. This will show an alphabetized list of all accessible databases. If you don't know which database to use, click on the drop down subject menu to find one that matches your discipline.

# data[].attributes.body
Using the advanced search option (on any database or on Grand Valley’s Library search) are great ways to narrow your results. The AND button allows for searches of articles that contain all given keywords, the NOT button allows for exclusion of certain words muddying your search results, and the OR button allows for searches of words/concepts that have a variety of names and labels.

# data[].attributes.body
The Thesaurus button on databases is a useful tool as well. The thesaurus has a list of all terms used in the database.

# data[].attributes.body
The Thesaurus is found in the Advanced Search options!

# data[].attributes.body
To find more articles for your research, use the References section of other accurate and useful articles.

# data[].attributes.body
Once you have found articles that meet your requirements and contain useful, accurate information about your topic, you should spend the time reading those articles in depth. Annotating articles as you read is an important piece of research. One way to annotate articles is writing the hypothesis, the set up of the study, participants, findings, and main discussion points on a separate piece of paper.

# data[].attributes.body
Your findings/results section should have multiple subsections. For example, I had seven sections in my literature review findings.

# data[].attributes.body
The order of your subsections throughout the findings section is extremely important. For example, I needed to introduce and define exercise dependence before I described a study linking certain personality traits to the likelihood of exercise dependence.

# data[].attributes.body
Direct quotations use the exact words from a resource (quotation marks are necessary). Note: the authors and year of publication can come before or after the quote.

# data[].attributes.body
Paraphrasing uses ideas and concepts from a resource, but written in different words.

# data[].attributes.body
The social sciences, humanities, and the field of education are prime examples of disciplines that use APA format.

# data[].attributes.body
The References section of an APA style paper should be on a separate page. References use a hanging indent and should be an alphabetized list. The format for each reference is shown above:

# data[].attributes.body
Whether in an in-text citation or in the references section, et al. is used after the first author's name when there are more than five authors/contributors of a resource.

# data[].attributes.body
The Modern Language Association (MLA) format is also commonly used in liberal arts disciplines. Similar to APA style, in MLA format, the name of the author(s) is needed with direct quotes and paraphrased information. With MLA formatting, however, the year of publication is not needed in in-text citations, but the page number(s) are if a direct quote is used.

# data[].attributes.body
The Works Cited of an MLA formatted paper should start on a new page, and the citations should be double spaced, alphabetized, and should use hanging indents. The format for each citation is shown above:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Review of the Literature on Exercise Dependence - Jodilyn Jenkins  