The Research Process: Getting It Done
"Search!" by Jeffrey Beall is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
3. Search for information on your topic.
Use library databases, books, and other high quality sources to search for information on your specific topic.
Image from Virtual Library by Cathy Costello
4. Evaluate your sources.
it's always a good idea to evaluate your sources.
Do you need peer-reviewed sources? Peer-reviewed journal articles are great sources to use! These articles have been evaluated by experts in the field and contain trustworthy information. Nearly all databases allow you to limit your search results to find only peer-reviewed articles in databases, so be on the lookout for the peer-reviewed option when searching. Do your sources need to come from a certain time period? For example, your professor might require you to use sources that were published in the last ten (10) years. Databases also allow you to search for articles by publication date.
Do you need websites to find information on your topic? To find out if a website is trustworthy, first check the URL. Does it end in .com? Some .com websites have reliable information but your best bet is to find websites with URLs that end in .edu or .gov. These are websites created by educational institutions or the U.S. government. Some other good websites are created by non-profit organizations, and these usually have URLs that end in .org. However, please note that some organizations have biased views and publish information that supports the views of the organizations' leaders.
If you're not sure that your sources are trustworthy after using the information above, contact your friendly librarian and she will help point you in the right direction.
"Writing & Skirt" by mscaprikell is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
5. Write.
Pull everything together to share your argument and your evidence. Combine ideas from your sources with your own ideas to make a compelling case for your paper.