last updated 8/30/2006

Steps for Beginning Research to Find Content for Your MC Consulting Training Program

1. Begin by looking at some of the sites on the internet search document provided to you by Professor McGaan (or do your own search on Google or some other search engine you like using the topic name you have agreed upon with Professor McGaan).  Many sites will be locations of commercial organizations doing training or organizational development on topics similar to your topic area.  While you may not find much information on your topic at these sites (They sell that stuff!), you will likely get a sense of what words are used in the business world to describe your topic.  And maybe you will find some useful content. 
2. Next, figure out the best search terms for your topic (ask me for ideas).  Get at least five or six possible terms.  Try terms used in the textbook chapters you've looked at so far and terms used on internet sites you've visited.
3. Go to the Hewes Library Databases page and click on the subject "Business."
4. I suggest you try the "Business & Management Practices" database first (It's a FirstSearch subject database that tends toward the practical and "how to.").  Then try the Academic Search Premier (It's the EBSCOHost database you've used before) and Business Source Elite (on the same page as Academic Search Premier) .  You might also try the "Communication & Mass Media Complete" database and, last, you could try the Professional Development Collection which may have some additional educational titles.
5. Select and read those titles that seem to have the most relevance to your training audience.  Remember, you want a few simple, practical ideas that your trainees can use right away.  You do, however, need ideas that will hang together and make a unified program, but not a large amount of conceptual material.
6. REMEMBER: 
   1. The best predictors of which teams will do well and which teams will do poorly are quality of content research and specificity and clarity of training objectives (which requires a good base of content knowledge)
   2. Keep careful notes on your sources of information.  The training materials you use and the final paper you submit to Chet REQUIRE correct citations, just like any other academic or professional material.  In fact, copyright violations in the "real world" can be very serious, just like plagiarism in college!!