2. Identify
First off you will obviously need to
identify the research topic you will be
focusing on.
Think about your argument and your
main concept and take notes of all your
information.
What you record is will help develop
your search strategy.
3. Background Research
Background reading will really help you
dial in on your main topic.
This will provide you with a strong
starting point for your research.
4. Time
Always allow yourself enough time to
gather information and materials that
you need.
Do not expect smooth sailing, there will
be problems and you have to give
yourself enough time to fix them.
5. Type Of Information
The type of information you need will
affect the style tools you use to locate
your sources.
Will a book be better to find your
information in, or will the internet be your
best bet?
Some information can only be found in
certain sources.
6. Tools
As mentioned before, some tools are
specific to some information that others
may not possess.
Determining where your information will
be found will save you a lot of time in the
long run.
7. Strategy
Make a plan, so u know how you will
use the tools you selected.
Check indexes, look at intros, and
identify key words.
8. Document
Take note of all the resources you have
used ( electronic or print ). This will keep
you from duplicating your work.
Also, you never know when you might
return to a source you have used before.
In the end this will also help you on your
works cited and prevent “plagiarism”.
9. Evaluate
Be sure that the information you have
gathered is relevant to your topic.
Did you retrieve the right amount of
information?
Revise your search strategy and run
through the process of searching, if
necessary.
10. Cite
Be sure to record all sources that were
used and cite them in bibliographies and
footnotes.
Record all of the publication details that
are necessary.
11. Confused? Ask for Help!
If any of these steps are causing
confusion or turmoil, do not be scared to
ask for help.
Remember, “the only dumb question is
the one not asked”.
