1.      Rule #1: If you don’t know where to start, or you don’t know where something is located, ask the reference librarian.  Answering questions is what they are paid to do.

2.      The best way to start research is to form a research question or find an area that you wish to know more about.  Next, find out what resources each library has, so that you can make an informed choice of where to go get the information for your topic.

3.      Your topic determines what researching tools you’ll use.  For example, if you want the latest information, it might be helpful to use computer databases or the Internet, as opposed to the stacks.

4.      Do not despair if the library doesn’t have what you need.  They may not have the book or journal, but there are other options (i.e. microfiche or you can do an inter-library loan).

5.      Realize that research takes time.  So get started as soon as possible.  The information is somewhere and in some form, it is just a matter of locating it, reading it, and then deciding if you need it.

6.      One you have located items, before you even read them, get the publishing information (author’s full name, title, publisher, year, journal’s name and volume #, page #s), so that if you decide you need it, you can find the information again and document it.

7.      Once you’ve got your source documented, it’s a good idea to take notes.  Try paraphrasing, summarizing, and writing down quotations.

8.      If you photocopy a source, immediately put publication information on the copy. Then as you read, highlighting the relevant information.

9.      Start organizing the information you’ve found by making outlines, notecards, or just freewriting responses to the things that you’ve read.

10.  Ask yourself or a friend: “What have I left out?” Then go back to the library, if necessary, to fill in the gaps.

11.  Find information that covers all possible views and positions of the topic you are researching so that you can present a balanced and well informed argument.

12.  Keep writing, and if possible getting feedback from people who are both in the field you are researching, as well as those who are not.

Page Created by Lorena Russell
Last Edited 07 May, 2008
Email lrussell@unca.edu