Why Can't I Find any Sources on My Topic?
From Research Question to Search Strategy
It can be frustrating if you can't find the "perfect" source for your research topic.
Sometimes the one perfect source doesn't exist, and instead you have to find multiple articles. For example, if you were researching labor organizing in the strawberry fields in Watsonville, you might have to draw on multiple sources to create a full picture of your topic:
- Local newspapers
- Personal stories
- Community organization websites & social media
- Scholarly articles about labor organizing among agricultural workers in other cities
- Books about the history of labor organizing among agricultural workers
Please watch the following 2-minute video from NCSU Libraries, which captures the challenge of translating your research topic into a successful search and results. Pay particular attention to the ideas presented on how to choose keywords that best reflect your topic, and how you may have to try different combinations of keywords and concepts.
Additional viewing options: Turn on closed captions with the "CC" button, or use the text transcript Links to an external site. if you prefer to read.
"One Perfect Source? Links to an external site." by NCSU Libraries Links to an external site. is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Links to an external site.