Basic Library Research Strategy
- Identify Your Topic
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- State your topic as a question.
- Identify your main concepts or keywords.
- Broaden or narrow your topic as necessary.
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- Find Background Information
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- Consult encyclopedias (general and subject) and dictionaries to find information about your keywords.
- Additional background information may be found in your lecture notes, textbooks, and reserve readings.
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- Find Books About Your Topic
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- Search our online catalog ( HAL ) for books on your topic.
- Use keyword searching for complex topics.
- Use subject searching for broad topics.
- Be sure to write down the citation so you can locate the material.
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- Find Articles Using Journal and Newspaper Indexes
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- Kelly Library has both computer-based and print indexes to help you find citations to articles.
- Choose the index and format best suited to your particular topic.
- A reference librarian can assist you in selecting which database to search.
- Generate a list of citations relevant to your topic. If these are not full-text, find the article in the library or produce an interlibrary loan request to obtain the article.
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- Find Internet Sources
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- Use search engines and subject directories to find materials on the World Wide Web.
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- Evaluate Your Information
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- Read and synthesize your gathered information.
- Evaluate the quality and authority of your sources.
- If you find that you have too much or too little information, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic; check with your instructor or a reference librarian.
- Organize your information and write your paper.
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- Use a Standard Format for Your Bibliography
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- Cite your sources using a standard format such as the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers .
- Check with your instructor about the format of your bibliography and to determine which style manual you are required to use for your paper.
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NOTE: Material in this guide has been adapted and/or modified from Library Research at Cornell: a Hypertext Guide, developed by the Reference Services Division of Olin *Kroch* Uris Libraries at Cornell University.
