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Environmental Design Library
Designing A Research Strategy
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Steps in Designing a Research Strategy
Searching for information for design projects and research papers need not be difficult. If you design and follow a plan in your search for information--a search strategy--you will be able to find what you need with greater efficiency. This search strategy is intended as a general guide. You can vary it depending on your specific needs, but consider all of these basic steps.

1. Select a style manual for bibliographic citations (see Citation Styles (<http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Citations.html> for more information), follow its recommendations for form, and thoroughly cite every source you use. It will save you time when you are trying to locate materials and compile your bibliography or footnotes.

2. Select a topic. If your topic is too broad, you will find more information than you can retrieve. If it is too narrow, you will find very little information.

3.  Get an overview of your topic by onsulting an encyclopedia:

Note key words or subject terms which can be used in your search. Also look for bibliographies at the end of encyclopedia articles. They will lead you to additional sources of information.

4.  For unknown or obscure words and terms, and for related subject terms use dictionaries:

5. To identify lists of books and/or articles already gathered by some previous researcher, check for the availability of bibliographies on your subject. If there are no specialized bibliographies on your topic, check the indexes or table of contents of more general subject bibliographies, e.g., 6. Refine your topic. Using sources gathered so far, clarify the scope and depth of the subject or problem you wish to research.

7. Search for books and periodical articles on your topic.

A. Journals provide more up-to-date and specialized information than books. Use relevant terms or keywords found in the steps above, or identified in the thesaurus accompanying some periodical indexes, to look in appropriate periodical and newspaper indexes for citations and/or abstracts. Once you have identified a list of articles, check the online catalogs to determine availability and location. For additional resources, see: B. Books: Searching Authors or Titles. Using authors or designers or titles you found through the steps above, search the Library catalogs: C. Books--Subject Searching. Although you may use keywords to search Pathfinder (http://pathfinder.berkeley.edu) and the Melvyl catalogs, you must use Library of Congress subject headings for thorough subject searches and for any subject search of the GLADIS online catalog.

Consult the Library of Congress Subject Heading List (Z695 .U4749 1993 Index) to determine the proper subject heading(s) for your topic.

In Pathfinder you may also select the "Browse" function and the field: subject, and key in your subject word or phrase to display an alphabetical list of words or phrases. If your word or phrase is in the index, it appears in the center of the list. If your word or phrase isn't in the index, its closest match is centered. Telnet Melvyl offers a similar feature: type bro su <subject phrase> to see a list of LC subject headings using those words.

 8. Footnotes and Bibliographies. For additional sources check the footnotes and bibliographies of the books and articles which you found most useful.

9. After locating periodical articles and books, you are ready to evaluate the resources you have found so far. Use Critical Evaluation of Resources (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/ TeachingLib/Guides/Evaluation.html) to determine what is suitable and appropriate for your research.

10. Consider additional sources to supplement your findings.

A. Biographical sources should be consulted for information on names discovered in your search. Specialized materials concentrate on biographies of famous people according to gender, geographic area, ethnic background, occupation, etc. Many have bibliographies and lists of a person's works. For more information see: B. Book Review Indexes help evaluate material. One general source is Book Review Digest (UCB only:  http://web5s.silverplatter.com/webspirs/start.ws?customer=ucb&databases=WN . C. Statistical Sources provide facts and statistics. Check sources for Statistics on the Library's homepage (http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/ERF/servlet/ERFmain?cmd=searchResType&resTypeId=19)

D. U.S. Government Documents, as well as local and foreign government publications, cover a broad range of topics. Consult the Government and Social Science Information Service website and guides ( http://sunsite2.berkeley.edu:8088/ERF/servlet/ERFmain?cmd=searchResType&resTypeId=11 ) for assistance.

E. Dissertations are indexed by keyword and broad subject categories and are usually available through interlibrary loan or purchase if not in the UCB Library. To search for dissertations on your topic search use:

 F. Exhibition Catalogs are indexed by subject in the online catalogs and widely available. Many art indexes and databases also include citations for exhibition catalogs. For a list of art indexes see: G. Other Sources include non-book material, such as Images; Videos; Conference Proceedings; Patents; Oral Histories; Archival Materials; Organizations; and Personal Interviews, to name a few. Consult a reference librarian for more information. 11. For information on citations, style manuals, and writing research papers or dissertations, additional information, we recommend the sources below, which are available in most campus libraries or in book stores. For more information consult with a reference librarian.

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STYLE GUIDES and MANUALS
Style manuals provide guidelines for how to format the elements of your citation. In addition to providing guidelines for how to cite sources, these manuals give background information on other elements of style, such as proper page layout, punctuation, quotations, etc.

(Tip: For more or newer publications on this subject search the online catalogs under these subject headings: writing handbooks; authorship handbooks; authorship style manuals; research handbooks manuals; or printing united states style manuals.) See also the excellent guide prepared by the UCB Teaching Library, Citation Styles, Plagiarism and Style Manuals (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Citations.html).

Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1993. (EnvDes Ref, Main Ref/Bibliog, Music Z253 U69 1993)

Citing Internet Resources (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Citations.html)

Walker, Janice R. The Columbia guide to online style.  New York: Columbia University Press, c1998.  (EnvDsgn, Anth, BioSci, Bus  PN171.F56.W35 1998 Reference)

Hurt, Peyton. Bibliography and Footnotes, a Style Manual for Students and Writers. 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1968. (EnvDes Ref Desk, BioSci, Bus, Main Stacks, Moffit Z253H8 1968)

Li, Xia, Electronic styles: a handbook for citing electronic information. 2nd ed. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, 1996.(EnvDsgn PN171.F56.L5 1996 Ref, Main Stack PN171.F56.L5 1996)

McGraw Hill Style Manual, ed. by Marie Longyear. NY, McGraw Hill, 1983. (Main Stacks, Moffit Ref N147 M47)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. NY, Modern Language Association, 4th ed., 1995. (EnvDes Ref, Ed Psych Ref, Main Ref/Bibliog PE1478 M571 1995)

MLA Style Manual. NY, Modern Language Association, 1985. (EnvDes Ref, Main Stacks, Moffit, Music, Main Ref/Bibliog PN147 A281 1985)

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association. (EnvDes, Ed/Psych Latest Ref, SocWelf BF11.A5.P8 1994 REF)

Turabian, Kate L. A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations. 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.(EnvDes Ref LB2369.T8 1996)

Turabian, Kate L. Students Guide for Writing College Papers. Chicago: Univ.of Chicago Press, 3rd ed., 1976. (EnvDes LB2369 T821 1976 Ref)

Williams, Joseph M. Style: toward clarity and grace. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995. (EnvDes PE1421.W546 1995)

Winkler, Anthony C. Writing the research paper: a handbook with both the MLA and APA documentation styles. 5th ed. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. (EnvDes LB2369.W56 1999 Reference)

Writing and publishing for academic authors edited by Joseph M. Moxley, Todd Taylor. 2nd ed. Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, 1997.(EnvDes PN146.W75 1997 Reference, Moffitt PN146.W75 1997)

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THESIS, DISSERTATION & TERM PAPER WRITING & RESEARCH
(For more and newer publications on this subject check in the online catalogs under subjects: dissertations academic handbooks, report writing handbooks, or proposal writing in research handbooks.)

Balian, Edward S. Graduate Research Guidebook: A Practical Approach to Doctoral/Masters Research. Lanham, Md., University Press of America, 1994. (EnvDes, Ed/Psych LB2369 B24 1994)

Borden, Iain and Katerina Reudi, The dissertation: an architecture student's handbook. Oxford, Boston: Architectural Press, 2000. (EnvDes NA2108.B67 2000)

Clark, Suzanne M. Cartographic Citations: a Style Guide. Chicago, American Library Assoc. Map and Geography Round Table, 1992. (EnvDes Ref GA108.7 .C55 1992)

Davis, Gordon Bitter. Writing the doctoral dissertation: a systematic approach. 2nd ed. Hauppauge, N.Y.: Barron's, 1997. (EnvDes LB2369.D357 1997)

Hamper, Robert J. Handbook for Writing Proposals. Lincolnwood, Ill: NTC Pub. Group, 1995. (EnvDes HF5718.5.H2844 1995)

Locke, Lawrence F. Proposals that work: a guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals. Waneen Wyrick. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2000. (Main Stack Q180.55.P7.L63 2000)

Madsen, David. Successful Dissertations and Theses, A Guide to Graduate Student Research From Proposal to Completion. 2nd ed, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass,1992. (EnvDes LB2369 M32 1992 )

Mauch, James E., Guide to the successful thesis and dissertation: a handbook for students and faculty. 4th ed., rev. and expanded.New York: M. Dekker,1998. (EnvDes, Main Stack LB2369.M377 1998)

Nickerson, Eileen T. Dissertation Handbook: a Guide to Successful Dissertations. 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Pub., 1993. (EnvDes LB2369.N5 1993)

Roth, Audrey J. Research paper: process, form, and content. 6th ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1989. (Ed/Psych LB2369.R66 1989 Ref.)

Rudestam, Kjell Erik. Surviving Your Dissertation: a Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process. Newbury Park, Calif., SAGE, 1992. (EnvDes, Ed/Psych LB2369.R83 1992 Ref. Coll.)

Swetnam, Derek. Writing your dissertation: how to plan, prepare and present your work successfully. 2nd ed. Oxford : How to Books, 1997.(EnvDes LB2369.S87 1997)

UCB Graduate Division. Guidelines for Submitting a Doctoral Dissertation or a Master's Thesis. (http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/current/index.shtml)

Van Wagenen, R. Keith. Writing a thesis: substance and style. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1991. (EnvDes, EducPsych LB2369.V257 1991)

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GUIDES to RESEARCH—GENERAL

(For more or newer publications on this subject, check the online catalogs under these subject headings: research methodology handbooks; grey literature; or library resources united states handbooks.)

American Library Association Guide to Information Access: a Complete Research Handbook and Directory, ed. by Sandy Whiteley. NY, Random House, 1994. (Main Ref/Bibliog Z711 .A39 1994 Desk)

Auger, Charles P. Information sources in grey literature. 3rd ed. London; New Jersey Bowker-Saur, 1994. (EnvDes T10.7.A87 1994)

Blaxter, Loraine, How to research. Buckingham [UK]; Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1996. (EnvDes Q180.55.M4.B59 1996, Main Stack Q180.55.M4.B59 1996)

Booth, Wayne C. The craft of research. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, c1995. (EnvDesign Q180.55.M4 B66 1995,  Bus&Econ  Q180.55.M4 B66 1995)

Flick, Uwe, An introduction to qualitative research. London ; Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage, 1998. (EnvDesign BF76.5 .F5713 1998)

Gates, Jean Key. Guide to the use of libraries and information. 7th ed New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994 (EnvDes Z710.G27 1994 Reference)

Gibaldi, Joseph, MLA style manual and guide to scholarly publishing. 2nd ed.New York : Modern Language Association of America, 1998. (EnvDes PN147.G444 1998 Reference)

Handbook of Research Synthesis, ed. by Harris Cooper and Larry V. Hedges. New York, Russell Sage Foundation, 1994. (BioSci Q180.55.M4 H35 1994)

Horowitz, Lois. Knowing Where to Look, the Ultimate Guide to Research. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 1988. (EnvDes Z710 H67 1988)

Hult, Christine A. Researching and writing: across the curriculum. 2nd ed. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co., 1990. Moffitt LB2369.H84 1990 Shelved in Main Stack, Level D West

Iredale, David. Enjoying archives: what they are, where to find them, how to use them. Newton Abbot, David and Charles, 1973. (Main Stack CD1041.I731)

Katz, William A. Your Library, A Reference Guide. NY, Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 2nd ed.,1984. (Main Stacks Z710 K38 1984)

Levine, Stephen. Paper trails: a guide to public records in California, 2nd ed. San Francisco : Center for Investigative Reporting ; Sacramento California Newspaper Publishers Association,1996 (EnvDes CD3111.N48 1996 Reference Desk)

Li, Xia. Electronic styles: a handbook for citing electronic information 2nd ed. Medford, N.J.: Information Today, 1996. (EnvDes PN171.F56.L5 1996 Reference, Main Stack PN171.F56.L5 1996)

Mann, Thomas. Guide to Library Research Methods. NY, Oxford University Press, 1987. (EnvDes Z710 M231 1987)

The reporter's handbook: an investigator's guide to documents and techniques. 3rd ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996. (EnvDes PN4781.R38 1996 Reference)

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GUIDES to RESEARCH--ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, HUMANITIES

(For more or newer publications on this subject search the online catalogs under these subject headings: art# authorship, or art research handbooks, or architecture research)

Barnet, Sylvan. A short guide to writing about art. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 1997 (EnvDes N7476.B37 1997)

Borden, Iain and Katerina Reudi, The dissertation: an architecture student's handbook. Oxford, Boston: Architectural Press, 2000. (EnvDes NA2108.B67 2000)

Fellows, Richard. Research methods for construction. Oxford; Malden, MA, USA: Blackwell Science, 1997. (EnvDes TH213.5.F45 1997)

Goldman, Bernard. Reading and Writing in the Arts. Detroit, Wayne State Univ. Press, 1978. (Main Stacks, Moffitt N7425 A12G6 1978)

Groat, Linda N. Architectural research methods / Linda Groat and David Wang. New York: J. Wiley, 2002. Online access:Table of Contents. Location: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/onix05/2001026512.html.  EnvDesign NA2000 .G76 2002

Hult, Christine A.  Researching and writing in the humanities and arts.  Boston : Allyn and Bacon, c1996. (Environ Dsgn AZ186.H85 1996)

Jones, Lois Swan, Art information and the Internet: how to find it, how to use it. Phoenix, Oryz Press, 1999. EnvDesign Ref, Art/Classics N59.J66 1999 Ref

Marius, Richard. A short guide to writing about history. 3rd ed. New York: Longman, 1999. (EnvDesign D13 .M294 1999 Reference //  Moffitt D13.M294 1999 Shelved in Main Stack, Level D West)

Sanoff, Henry. Visual Research Methods in Design. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991. (EnvDes NA2750 S25 1991)

Sayre, Henry M. Writing about art. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1999. (N7476.S29 1999, EnvDes Ref)

Villecco, Marguerite. Environmental Design Research: Concepts, Methods, and Values. Washington, National Endowment for the Arts, 1981. (EnvDes NA2542.35 V45 1981)

Wehrli, Robert. Environmental Design Research: How To Do It and How To Apply It. NY:, Wiley, 1986. (EnvDes Ref TA170 W441 1986)

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GUIDES to RESEARCH--PLANNING and SOCIAL SCIENCES

(For more or newer publications in this subject, search the online catalogs using these subject headings: social sciences research methodology or environmental psychology research methodology)

Andranovich, Gregory D. Doing Urban Research. Newbury Park: Sage, 1993. (EnvDes HT110 A56 1993)

Bechtel, Robert B., et. al., Methods in Environmental & Behavioral Research. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987. (EnvDes BF353 M481 1987

Becker, Howard Saul. Tricks of the trade: how to think about your research while you're doing it. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 1998 (EnvDes, Main Stack H91.B38 1998)

Becker, Howard Saul.  Writing for social scientists : how to start and finish your thesis, book, or article.  Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press, 1986. (EnvDes H91.B41 1986)

Ellis, Lee. Research methods in the social sciences. Madison, Wis., Brown & Benchmark, 1994. (Main Stacks H61 .E428 1994)

Hult, Christine A. Researching and writing in the social sciences. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1996. (EnvDes H62.H725 1996, Main Stack H62.H725 1996)

Krathwohl, David R. How to prepare a research proposal: guidelines for funding and dissertations in the social and behavioral sciences 3rd ed. Syracuse, N.Y..Syracuse University Press, 1988 (EnvDes HG177.K73 1988)

Miller, Delbert C. Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement. 5th ed. Newbury Park: Sage, 1991. (EnvDes H62 M55 1991)

Nachmias, David. Research Methods in the Social Sciences. NY, St. Martin's, 2nd ed. 1981. (EnvDes H61 N251 1981).

Neuman, William Lawrence. Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches. 2nd ed. Boston, Allyn and Bacon, 1994. (SocWelf HM48 .N48 1994 Desk)

Pyrczak, Fred. Writing empirical research reports : a basic guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. 3rd ed. Los Angeles, CA : Pyrczak Pub., c2000. (EnvDesign LB2369 .P97 2000)

Vogt, W. Paul. Dictionary of statistics & methodology: a nontechnical guide for the social sciences. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1999. (Bus & Econ HA17.V64 1999 Reference)

Zeisel, , John. Inquiry by design: tools for environment-behavior research. Monterey, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Pub. Co., c1981. Series title: The Brooks/Cole basic concepts in environment and behavior series. (Env Des BF353.Z44)

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