LCU Library: Business Administration: Research Tips

Pre-Research

Research Smarter, Not Harder.

Before you begin your assignment, you will need to understand the basic information about your topic. This will help you better search the databases for scholarly articles. Two excellent sources for this basic information or pre-research are:

Credo Online Reference Service This link opens in a new window
Credo Online Reference Service enhances the research experience by combining authoritative reference content with a one-stop exploratory search platform that drives usage of all trusted library resources.
CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window
Founded in 1923, CQ Researcher provides original, authoritative reports on newsworthy social and political issues. Covering topics in public policy, law, civil liberties, international affairs, economics, health, education, the environment, technology, and more, CQ Researcher is renowned for its objectivity, breadth, and depth of coverage.

Evaluating Sources

Currency - Is the article current or out of date?
Relevance - Does it relate to your topic?
Authority - Who is the author? What are their Credentials?
Accuracy - Is the article correct and reliable? Has it been peer-reviewed?
Purpose: Why was the information published? For entertainment, to inform, or to persuade?

Peer Review/Scholarly

Written by experts in the field and reviewed prior to publishing by other experts in their field.

How to make sure your articles are peer-reviewed:

1. Limit the database search to peer-reviewed only.

2. Look for these terms in the article:

Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Method
Results
Conclusion
References/Works Cited * very important

3. Check the journal's official website to see if it is peer-reviewed.

4. See your professor or the librarian.

Helpful Websites

AllSides
We expose people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other.
The Conversation
A source of news that is provided with academic rigor and a journalistic flair.
FactCheck
Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Lead Stories
Just because it's trending doesn't mean it's true. Fact checking social medical.
PolitiFact
Fact-checking journalism
ProCon
ProCon.org uses professional researchers and rigorous editorial standards to explore more than 80 controversial issues from gun control and death penalty to illegal immigration and alternative energy.
Snopes
We are the internet’s go-to source for discerning what is true and what is total nonsense.

Business Administration: Research Tips