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”.