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WRPR 103: You Are What You Eat: Food Studies and Identity (HC)

This course is designed to introduce students to concepts in the interdisciplinary field of food studies with a particular emphasis on food’s role in shaping identity. This Guide will help you navigate some of the research resources for this class.

Example #1

Let's say you need to find information on the food tradition of Irish Immigrants in America.

Step 1: Break up this research question into two or three main concepts. Ignore extraneous words.

  • Concept #1: Food traditions
  • Concept #2: Irish Immigrants
  • Concept #3: America or United States

Step 2: Conduct an initial search with these words, and quickly scan the results. 

Step 3: Using information from your initial search, add synonyms, acronyms, and variant spellings.

  • Concept #1: Gastronomy or Food Cultures  
  • Concept #2: Irish Descendants or First Generations

Example #2

Let's say you're interested in the history of a traditional dish in Jewish Culture. Let's explore Challah

Following the steps from the above example, you might decide to search:

  • Search #1: Challah AND (Jewish OR "Jewish American") AND (history OR tradition OR customs)

Understand Boolean Operators

  • Even if the search engine you are using doesn't require you to enter boolean operators, it is still using them behind the scenes. It will help you to know the logic behind your search
    .
  • AND gives you results that include ALL of your concepts.
     
  • OR gives you results that include ANY of your concepts.
    ​
  • Essentially, you are searching:​

(cashew OR Anacardium occidentale) AND (migration OR movement)