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SAHE624: Student Affairs Functions in Higher Education (Benjamin)

Choosing a Topic

First, choose a student affairs issue that interests you.

Example: transgender issues in higher education

Then, frame your issue as a closed-ended question that can be answered with "yes" or "no."

Example: Do admission policies discriminate against transgender students at women's colleges?

Find an issue in the literature

The literature in the field is a great place to learn about the issues that student affairs professionals are thinking about the most. Browse through the journals below and see what issues are interesting to you!

Selection of recommended resources:

Locating Keywords

Locate key words in your closed-ended question. Precise keywords are essential in the search for articles so choose words that specifically describe your topic. The words in bold below are the best keywords to use to search for information on this topic.

Example: Do admission policies discriminate against transgender students at women's colleges?

Not sure what keywords to choose from your question?  Learn more in this tutorial on Choosing and Using Keywords.

Librarian Tip: As you are searching for sources, keep your eyes open for additional keywords that describe your topic. Sometimes you might not be thinking of all the words that could be used to search. The databases often label keywords as "search terms," "subjects," or "descriptors."