How do I explore my topic?


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Understanding Research

Research process
Select a topic
Refine a topic
Identify objectives Choose approach
Explore a topic
Plan a search
Evaluate info

Finding Books

Finding Articles

How Do I Explore My Topic?

To explore your topic, you should ask yourself:

What do I know about my topic at this point?
What do I want to know about my topic?
What do I need to know about my topic?
What kinds of resources do I need to use to answer the questions I've formulated about my topic?

Your answers will determine how you explore your topic—what types of information and what kinds of resources you look for.

You can explore resources for 4 basic types of information:

Background Info	Current Info	Data	Historical Info
Gives an overview of terms, people, places, events, trends, issues & key works to a topic	Reports the latest findings & views about a topic	Facts & statistics on a variety of topics	Gives a historical perspective on a topic

Kinds of Resources to Explore for Each Type of Information:

Background Info	Current Info	Data	Historical Info
Encyclopedias Dictionaries Biographies	Journal articles Newspaper articles Web sites	Almanacs Yearbooks Factbooks	Books Journal articles Web sites

Ask a librarian to suggest appropriate resources or consult the library's research subject guides for possible starting points.

Survivor Tip: Bibliographies at the end of encyclopedia and dictionary articles can be treasure maps! Read them (and bibliographies of any resource) for further resources to consult. They can prove invaluable in your research.

(8) Do You Know How?

How could you find out about the topic "deaf studies" using the different types of information?

Read the possibilities

Next: How Do I Plan My Search?