85-ga,
Read a book on the subject. Your research may be as simple as that!
For the more complex answer, keep reading.
Depending on how much time you have available to perform your
research, I would suggest spending some of it with quality books on
the subject of "research" itself. These books can show you the tips
and traps about performing research in a library, which is where most
research is accomplished.
Here are some books available from Amazon.com and/or Barnes & Noble
(I'm not necessarily recommending these particular ones, but they
should give you a good footing on which to find other sources).
1) The Craft of Research (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and
Publishing)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226065847/qid=1036708679/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-0637276-9028615
2) Practical Research : Planning and Design
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/textbooks/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?userid=6URQOTCXVT&isbn=0139603603
You will also probably find yourself sitting down with a librarian.
Each library is different... your local public library, university
library, or community college library... so, you will need to know how
to use the one your going to. The librarian is there to help.
One major thing to keep in mind... you've heard a lot of people say
"don't believe everything you read (or hear or see)". Take this to
heart. Just because something is written down, doesn't mean that it's
fact.
Information on subjects can come from just about anywhere:
1) Books -> I would say that these are your number one source of
information.
2) Magazines
3) Internet
4) Newspapers
5) TV
6) VHS tapes, DVD's, Audiotapes, Film (usually collectively referred
to as just Audio-Visual)
7) Flyers
8) Government Documents
9) Professional Journals (such as the Journal of the American Medical
Association)
10) Interviews -> Talking with a doctor for example
There are others, but I would have to say that these are the best
sources... I would suggest that everything in the above list is in no
particular order. You may find everything you need to know from the
internet, for example.
From what I can tell, right now you are interested in general
knowledge about breast cancer. Depending on your need, you may need
to narrow this down. you will easily find thousands of pieces of
information about breast cancer in any research you perform.
After having said all that (phew!), sitting down with a book on the
subject is a good first step whether you need just a simple
understanding of a subject or a deep knowledge of it. You have to
start somewhere and any one source is a good place to start. Don't
even bother trying to "look" for it in a library, ask the librarian to
suggest something.
If you are doing research online, the following pages will help you to
use search engines:
1) A Helpful Guide To Web Search Engines
http://www.monash.com/spidap.html
2) Search Engine Watch
http://searchenginewatch.com/
3) Windweaver's Search Guide
http://www.windweaver.com/searchguide.htm
Please let me know if this is helpful or if you need a better
explanation,
Best Regards and happy researching!
krobert-ga |
