THE MOST SKILLED RESEARCHERS DON'T SETTLE FOR THE FIRST FEW SOURCES THEY FIND. THEY LOOK IN SEVERAL PLACES FOR THE BEST SOURCES POSSIBLE. CHECK OFF THESE TASKS AS YOU COMPLETE THEM.
Decide on a topic
Pick up “100 unique research topics” handout from reference department
Scour newspapers and news magazines for ideas
Talk to instructors
Ask friends
Get an overview of the topic
Encyclopedias
Wikipedia.org
Reference books in the reference department
Read news magazines or newspapers
Write a thesis statement
Jot down important keywords
Ask a librarian for help, if needed
Go to the library’s homepage
Search Athena (the online catalog) for books and/or videos
Search relevant databases for magazine, journal, and newspaper articles
Search the library's database for eBooks
Search WorldCat for ordering books owned by other libraries
Order any Interlibrary Loans at least 2 weeks before you need them
Click on Subject Guides on the library’s homepage for reviewed web sites
Search Google if you need more information from the WWW
Evaluate your websites for currency, objectivity, credibility, accuracy, and scholarly coverage
Pick up a copy of the “Avoiding Plagiarism” handout from the reference department
Create a reference page (also called “works cited” page) before you begin writing
