In this section you will gather information on the open web for your research topic.
To prepare for your initial search on the open web, you will need to come up with keywords and related keywords to locate information. Using your concept map from the first activity, develop a list of keywords. Keywords should be single terms for short phrases, and they should not include articles of speech like as, a, an, or the. Generally keywords should not include conjunctions, such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, unless they are part of a search phrase. For now we want to focus primarily on a list of specific nouns--a person, place, or thing. Here is an example keyword list from a concept map on anarchy:
You will notice that when more than one term was used, the words were placed in quotes, for example the phrase "Occupy Wall Street" is the name of a specific movement. By using quotes around the phrase, it tells Google and other search engines to look for those exact words in the order. Using quotes also helps when searching for names of people or concepts like "social reform." Using quotations is useful when you want to intentionally limit the search to a specific title, name, or concept that includes more than one word. Otherwise, use keywords independently when searching and crafting your research questions.
While you look at these web sources, start to consider aspects of bias and the authority of the author or organization.
Are the authors being objective? Is there a potential motivation? Approach these sources with a critical eye.
