ENC 1102 Library Tutorial

Research doesn't have to be hard, but it does take time.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Read your assignment thoroughly and carefully.
   • What is your professor asking you to do? What types of resources do you need to find? How many? What citation style are you required to use? When is your assignment due?
2. Choose your topic.
3. Brainstorm.
   • What do you know about your topic?
   • What does your audience know?
   • What do you need to show/prove to get your point across?
4. Write a list of key words.
   • The more you know about your subject, the easier it is to find information to support your argument.
   • Create a list of all the words commonly used to describe your topic. This will make it easier to modify your search terms while conducting library research.
5. Pick your source(s) and start searching.
   • Do you need to find scholarly articles? Books? News? Images? The library has resources to help you locate whatever you need.
   • Need help choosing the best database or resource? ASK US!

Learn more about steps involved in developing a successful research strategy by visiting the Libraries' "Getting Started" guide.

REMEMBER: If you are using the internet for research, it is especially important to evaluate the accuracy and authority of the information you find there. Search engines, like Google, find web sites of all levels of quality. Keep these things in mind when deciding if a web page is reliable and appropriate for your research:

• authority/credibility
• accuracy/verifiability
• bias/objectivity
• currency/timeliness
• scope/depth
• intended audience/purpose

Always check with your instructor to find out if you can use free (non-Library) web sites for your assignments. And if looking for journal articles, library databases are the most efficient tool for searching.