Jump-Start Your Research!

This worksheet will save you time by helping you organize your approach to research. If you are working in a group, complete it together, so you all have the same understanding of your research needs. If you ask for research help, submit it to a librarian so they more quickly understand your project.

Disclaimer: examples in this guide are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily the best examples of research questions.

Which course or program is this for?(Required)

Is this for a BCom class (e.g.Comm 390), are you in a graduate program (MBA, MM, PhD).

Step 1 - Summarize the project in your own words

Imagine you are explaining this to someone who is not in your program and is not familiar with your project.

For example: We are researching the market for a new organic energy drink aimed at runners.

Step 2 - Focus your research

You will need to think what kinds of information might be available that can help you understand your market. It can be helpful to think of this as a list of questions you would like answers to.

For example:
• How many people in Vancouver/BC run or exercise regularly?
• Who buys energy drinks (which age groups, income levels etc)?
• What are the trends in buying organic products?
• What are the competing products?

Step 3 - Define the scope

Are there any other parameters you need to think about? Are you focusing on a particular geographic area or group of consumers? Do you need current statistics? What date range is acceptable?

For example:
• Location: Vancouver or BC
• Consumers who exercise regularly, who buy organic products

Step 4 - Develop your search strategy

List keywords and synonyms that you can use in your search (add to this as you start searching and come across more search words). Single words or short phrases work best in library databases. For more on how to search, see our Research Tips!

For example: “energy drinks”, organic, consumers, runners, athletes, sports, Vancouver, “British Columbia”

Step 5 - Identify alternatives

What will you do if the information you want isn’t available? You may need to do primary research, but it may help to think of alternative secondary research be useful (e.g. a broader or similar geographic area, consumer group or industry)

For example:
• Look more widely at consumers/products in Canada or North America
• Look for information on energy drinks in general, and products such as protein bars

Step 6 - Who might collect and publish the information?

Although our research guides can help direct you to relevant resources, it can also help to think strategically about who might collect and publish the information and where it might be published.

For example:
• Consumer behavior: market research databases, article databases, Statistics Canada?
• Energy drinks: market research databases, article databases

Step 7 - Send this form and begin your search!

Start at the David Lam Library website and browse for a research guide that might help you get started. Research guides list resources for a variety of topics.
Contact a business librarian for more help. To save time, send the librarian your completed JumpStart worksheet and let them know where you’ve looked already.
Alternatively, you can select below whether to e-mail a copy of the form to yourself or your groupmates. This can be done addition to sending a copy to your Business Librarian, that way everyone is in the loop.

Select your Business Librarian

If a business librarian has been assisting you, select them from this list. Your JumpStart form will be e-mailed to your librarian upon submission.

Choose N/A if you wish to e-mail it to yourself only and bring it to a meeting with a Business Librarian later.

Your E-mail(Required)

Enter your e-mail to send a copy of this form for your own records.

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The David Lam Management Research Library

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