The Research Process

Understand the assignment.
Set deadlines for every step.
Identify and develop your topic.
Find background information.
- Read articles in subject encyclopedias to get an overview.
Develop keywords and search terms.
- Break your topic down into the most important concepts.
Add words and phrases that you commonly see.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and other terms.
Use the library catalog and individual databases to find books, eBooks, periodical articles and other sources.
Analyze and organize your information.
- Narrow or broaden your search.
- Weed out irrelevant information.
Write a rough draft.
- Locate additional information to fill in the gaps
Cite your sources in a standard format.
Prepare the final version and proofread for logic, flow, spelling, and grammar.
Get help - with your writing - with your research.
Repeat any step as needed!

Keep in mind

Work from the general to the specific.
Stay organized to save time and frustration.
Keep track of what you find and where you found it.
Better to gather more sources than you'll actually end up citing.
Notice what's on the screen! Read it!
- Library search engines and databases include useful tools, such as:
  - Citation, email, saving, printing, translation, and more..
- Library search engines and databases provide multiple ways to filter your results, such as:
  - By format, subject, date range of publication, peer-reviewed articles, and more.
Need help? Ask a librarian.