Seeking Current Research

Research in the sciences, health care, business and engineering is dynamic and ongoing. It may be helpful to see what current research is underway on your topic, even if it is not yet published in peer reviewed sources.

This can help you

• Formulate your own research study
• Learn about the most current trends, questions, tools, terminology, studies
• Gather key language to use in databases
• Identify names of researchers working in the field. You can then see if they have already published in the field.
• Read "white papers" and ongoing research studies. These may not yet be peer reviewed, but they are scholarly and can provide insight and analysis.

Search Strategies

Universities and research institutes are a good source for information on current research in a field.

You can search the Web to identify them.

In Seattle, for just two examples:

• The University of Washington has a Robotics Research program
• The Fred Hutch Research Center publishes information on ongoing research trials and issues.

TIP: You can search within a large Web site to help locate the most relevant info:

To do so:

• Type site: and the root of the research institute or program website.
  • Ex: site:www.cs.washington.edu/research/robotics
• The search screen then lets you to search within that program's web site with a specific search term. In this case, I searched "sensors" and got a list of links to content on sensors with the UW robotics program.

Searching Google More Effectively

To find current businesses, government reports, data, think tank reports, advocacy groups, and local news or organizations, do a targeted web search. 

Search by domain: 

• .gov for government info
• .org for non-profit organizations
• .edu for educational sites, such as university research institutes and think tanks
• .mil for military sources
• .com for commercial businesses

Assess ALL information sources. On the Web be particularly careful to assess for:

• Accuracy, Authority, and Audience
• Bias
• Currency

Use the evaluation handout below to assess information sources and determine if they belong in your work.

Searching the Web

The Web can be a great source of information

Use the Web to find: 

• Current government data, policies, and other info
• School websites
• Professional organizations
• Commercial businesses
• Local news sources
• Organizations working in a particular area
• Papers and research produced by an industry or organization (not generally be peer-reviewed)

Search the Web for other local government web sites