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Step
1. |
Select
a researchable topic considering the following: |
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Step
2. |
Do a background check. |
|
- Determine
the issues, themes, and questions to be investigated.
- Overview
sources such as the online catalog, subject encyclopedias,
yearbooks or review publications. These materials can
provide background information, facts, and bibliographies.
- Decide
whether there is enough (or too much) material to pursue
the topic.
|
Step
3. |
Refine your questions using the background information and
terminology learned. |
Step
4. |
Gather
bibliographic references. Keep careful track of this process,
including which indexes and databases used, and complete
citations for every item. |
|
- Scholarly books, literary works, biographies: Check the Logan
Library Online Catalog. The holdings of other
libraries can also be checked through WorldCat,
a worldwide library catalog.
- Articles
in periodicals/newspapers: Use an online database (index)
or a print index.
- Recent
articles: Check one or several of the online databases; Academic
Search Premier (from EBSCOhost, for example) or
try a subject-oriented resource such as ScienceDirect (science). These resources can also be found on the
Library's home page under the Search
for Articles link.
- Older
articles: A few print indexes are available in the
Library near the periodicals. These include Humanities
Index, Psychological Abstracts, and Essay and General
Literature Index.
- Contemporary,
popular topics: Try using a search engine to search the World Wide Web.
- Statistics:
Try these statistical
reference sources or ask a Librarian.
|
Step
5. |
Assess
the relevance of the bibliographic references found. Consider: |
|
- Point
of view.
- Authority.
- Level
of scholarship.
- Quantity
of information it is likely to contain.
- Timeliness.
|
Step
6. |
Gather
the best available material. Read, evaluate, think. |
Step
7. |
Repeat
steps as necessary. Leads to new facets of the topic may appear
in the information already gathered. |
Step
8. |
Organize
and present material. |
