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CLDDV 103 - Child Growth & Development - Brennan

A Research Guide for students in Jessica Brenna's Child Development 103 class.

Background Reading

Many students turn to Wikipedia for their initial exploration of a topic. This is fine, but be sure to augment your background research with sources you can actually include on an academic bibliography (a.k.a. your References list).

Conduct background research because:

  • It is a great source of core knowledge on your topic
  • It can generate ideas on different ways to focus your topic
  • It can answer research questions you've already posed
  • It may help you clarify and/or expand research questions.
  • It often points you towards other sources of information on your topic 

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The list below includes both print and online resources to help you get started with your preliminary reading.

All of these resources are free for MJC students, faculty, and staff. If you're working from off campus, you'll need to sign in. Once you click on the name of a database or eBook, simply enter your student ID (without the W) and your six-digit birth date.

Developing Research Questions

WHAT KINDS OF SPECIFIC QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK?

Always look at your assignment for clues on the types of information and the actual content of information you’ll need to find for your research. Often, professors will give you an assignment with bullet points or areas they'd like you to address in your essay. You can turn those elements into research questions that you need to answer in the course of your research. This is a huge benefit to you because these questions give you a focus and a road map to follow to find information.

Example assignment: Explore childhood vaccination and why it is such an important concern. 

Brainstorm keywords: child immunization: childhood, vaccination, vaccination schedule, laws, 

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Introductory Questions (General) 

Body Questions (More analytical) 

Concluding Questions (Wrapping up) 

  • Based on my research, what do I think about immunizations and why?