Question

I have a research paper due on "Decline of Communication Due to Technology." What would be the best key words to use to search?

Details

I would like to narrow my search down to the impact of texting and/or social media on teenagers. I need some guidance on how to search to get the most helpful information.

Answered By: Kimberly Boyd
Last Updated: Sep 03, 2020     Views: 171

Hi,

Before you begin your research you may want to refine your topic / thesis statement as it will help you determine search terms for your research project. The decline of communication due to technology is very broad. What type of communication? Face-to-face, written, or other types of communication? What type of technology?  Social Media and Teenagers is a good bit narrower but I think that you may have to narrow your research topic even further.

An example of a better research question would be, "Does social media impact teenagers' self-esteem?" In that research question I have identified the type of technology I'm investigating, the group that I'm investigating, and how a new technology may impact a certain aspect of teen personality or well-being.

Once you have narrowed and refined your topic, I recommend visiting the All Purpose LibGuide. Click the Journal Articles tab and select Academic Search Complete. You'll need to log in with your Brenau username and password. Then you can enter your search terms. I chose social media AND teenagers I had thousands of results. I narrowed this further by adding self-esteem to search string.  So, type social media AND teenagers AND self-esteem.
 

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