Sociology 1301  Tags: terri_slonaker sociology_1301 sociology body_image  

What do you need to find out or verify about your topic?

List research questions (big or small!), your thesis statement, and key words or phrases.

So...what's the difference between KEYWORD v. SUBJECT searching?

• Keyword search = to combine key words or for more specific search; finds items that contain your keywords
• Subject search = for broad search or when you know terminology; finds items that are about that topic
• Use keyword and subject searching together: start with a keyword search, find an item that's relevant, then look for subject headings within item descriptions and incorporate those subject words into your search strategy.

 Perception of what is perfect?

Beauty - what is desirable?

Media representations of beauty

Cultural perceptions

US versus other countries

Body image

Self-esteem

Mental disorders

Eating disorders - anorexia, bulimia, binge eating

male, females, children, adolescents

If you're researching a particular topic, such as "body image", then you need to list as many synonyms and related key words as possible. Use the list of words to create multiple combinations with the word AND in order to have a successful search:

• body image, self image, self esteem, self worth
• kids, children, adolescents, men, women, teens, teenagers
• eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder, plastic surgery

• Use symbols such as the * at the end of key words to pick up alternate endings. (adolesc* = adolescent, adolescents, etc.)

Which of the search statements below would give you the FEWEST number of hits?