Discovering Hidden Gems in Foreign Languages

Book excerpt: This book offers a practical approach to conducting research in foreign languages on topics with a global nexus. It introduces the problem researchers face when getting started with a research problem, such as setting up the research environment and establishing goals for the research. The researcher then needs to prepares and to conduct foreign-language research by generating key terms and searching the right places where the information they seek is most likely to be stored. Using the appropriate advanced search operators, the researcher narrows down the search results to the desired sources, thereby eliminating the irrelevant sources. Specialized knowledge of country-specific domains advances the specificity and relevance of the researcher’s efforts. The methods and tools demonstrated in this book are applicable to a variety of academic and practical fields. A doctor may ask “what are other experts in my field saying about ABC disease?” A sommelier may ask “where else in the world are XYZ grape varietals grown?” A businessman may ask “who are my global competitors in my market?” A doctoral student may ask “have any other students at universities abroad ever written a dissertation about my topic, too?” With the tools and techniques demonstrated in this book, all of these questions are answerable. This book concludes with chapters on translation and citation methods, and includes three case studies that demonstrate the practical use of the methods discussed above. This book targets academic researchers as well as students and faculty. This book will also be a good fit as an assigned reading for a college course on thesis/dissertation research.