Depending on your topic, you may need to rearrange or recycle through these research steps. 1. Identify and develop your topic State your topic as a question Example: what measures can be taken by educators to prevent violence in elementary schools? Identify the main concepts or keywords in your question Example: violence, grade or elementary school, prevention Narrow or broaden your topic as needed 2. Find background information Use subject encyclopedias, bibliographies, handbooks and guides Use lecture notes, course reserves Know the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary sources 3. Use catalogs to find books & media Use a variety of sources: periodicals, audio-visual materials, government documents, maps, Special Collections & Archives, etc How to find a book How to read a call number Item not at your campus library? Try another library 4. Use databases and indexes to find periodical articles Use print or computer-based indexes and abstracts Choose indexes and formats best suited to your topic Know the difference between scholarly and popular articles Ask a librarian which index and format will be best for you Find the periodical articles Item not at your campus library? Try another library 5. Use Internet sources wisely Web is not indexed; sheer volume can overwhelm you Evaluate web sources Need help? Ask a librarian 6. Evaluate what you find Evaluating bibliographic citations. Evaluating content from bibliographic citations Evaluating web sources 7. Cite your sources Plagiarism is knowingly representing the work of others as your own Give credit where credit is due Use a style manual to cite your sources in a standard format

Need help? Just ask! Librarians or reference desk staff can assist you. This guide adapted from: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill1.htm