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Research Process

A guide to the steps of conducting library research.

Searching for Information

 

When you're searching for information on your research topic, you're conducting a review of the literature, typically called a Literature Review. 

Here is an overview of what a literature review is, and how to conduct one:

 

You can work through the literature review process using the Literature Review worksheet (found below) along with the library's databases, journals, books, and periodicals. The next page includes a series of how-to videos for searching many of our various databases.

It's very rare to find the "perfect article" that covers exactly what you're researching. That's usually because your idea is original, and you're the one writing that perfect article! Don't be discouraged: you can put together a number of sources that are relevant to aspects of your research. But when you do find an article that's exactly what you're looking for, you'll want to take a close look at their list of references. These are likely to be useful for you, and you can also find other articles that reference these same sources. 

 

 

  • Some Types of Information You Might Use

The question is always asked: Can I use Wikipedia? The answer is "In a way." Watch the video below to learn more.

 

 

One important type of research that you'll likely use is called a "peer-reviewed article." Watch this video to learn exactly what that means and how it may be useful to you.

 

 

There are many more types of information that you might use. They include:

  • Newspaper articles that cover current events or opinions;
  • Magazine articles;
  • Blog posts;
  • Websites;
  • Freely available data;
  • White paper (a government or other authoritative report giving information or proposals on an issue);
  • Grey literature (materials and research produced by organizations outside of the traditional commercial or academic publishing and distribution channels);
  • Press release or press conference;
  • Book or book chapter.

All of these can be useful, depending on what you're researching, and what you're trying to learn. You will need to evaluate both the type of information you're using, as well as the actual source and author/creator that you've found.