Outline of the Research Process
Research is the process of finding information. There are a number of steps
to follow, regardless of your topic. Get into the habit of going through
these steps whenever you need information. This process can be used to
learn about anything that interests you, at any time in your life. Ask
a reference librarian to help you get started.
The research steps, or how to find information on a topic:
-
Clearly identify your research need (for this class you need to complete
a research project)
-
Choose a topic or issue that interests you to research (or use a topic
assigned by an instructor)
-
Choose words that describe your topic (these are called keywords)
-
Find general background information in reference
books, encyclopedias, or on the Internet
-
Use your keywords in the library catalog to find books and other library materials
-
Use your keywords in article databases and indexes to find articles in periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals)
-
Search your keywords on Internet search engines for Web sites
-
Print, save or copy pages or articles that look most interesting to you
-
Read and evaluate the material you have copied or printed. Take notes on the information you determine to be of high quality. If the books
or articles have bibliographies, or lists of references, look through
them to see if there are other interesting sources
-
Repeat the process as you develop new questions from your reading
Tip: If you don't find enough information using the keywords you have chosen,
try to think of additional keywords or synonyms that describe your topic.
 Continue - Selecting a topic
|
